Daran Thomas for NC House District 49
"I'm tired of complaining about it, so I'm going to go fix it."
Raleigh Has Been Neglected.
The Wade Avenue corridor is crumbling — broken poles, low-hanging wires, overgrown trees — while crime is rising and families are leaving downtown. Your property taxes keep going up, but the roads, safety, and quality of life keep going down. Meanwhile, Raleigh generates nearly $900 billion in economic output for this state, and rural counties are receiving billions in state funding for overbuilt bridges that carry a fraction of the traffic our streets handle every single day. Raleigh is subsidizing the rest of North Carolina while our own neighborhoods fall apart.
The Platform
Five Issues. Real Solutions.
Infrastructure & Safety
Fix Wade Avenue
The I-440 to Oberlin Road corridor is a daily embarrassment — broken poles, low-hanging wires, overgrown trees, and incomplete sidewalks. Daran lives three blocks away and experiences it firsthand.
Learn moreEnvironmental Hazard
AT&T Lead Wire Cleanup
AT&T is retiring its copper network by 2029, leaving behind lead-sheathed cables that may leach toxic metal into our soil. Daran will force AT&T to fund the cleanup — using the copper's own scrap value to offset costs.
Learn moreOn the Ballot — Vote Nov. 3rd
Lower Property Taxes
Property tax relief is already on the ballot this November 3rd. You don't need to wait for Raleigh to act — just show up and vote yes.
Learn moreEnd Student Debt
Free Tuition at NC State
NC public high school graduates who attended at least two years in-state should be able to attend NC State University tuition-free. Full proposal coming soon.
Learn morePublic Safety & Quality of Life
Clean Up Downtown Raleigh
Rising crime and disorder are driving families and businesses away from downtown. Daran will fight to restore safety and make downtown Raleigh a place everyone is proud of again.
Learn more
About Daran
"I arrived in America on my 18th birthday with $100 and a plane ticket. I've been building ever since."
Born to American missionary parents in the Philippines, Daran arrived in the U.S. on his 18th birthday with $100 and a plane ticket. He worked full-time while earning his degree from Cal State Long Beach, grew a $3M company to $6.5M in five years, became a top performer at Swiss Army Brands, and has run his own business for over 18 years. He's called Raleigh home for 25 years.
He's not a career politician. He's a neighbor who's done waiting.
Read His Full StoryOld Phone Wires Are Poisoning Our Neighborhood.
District 49 deserves cleanup — not cover-up.
AT&T is in the middle of the largest copper network retirement in American history. By 2029, the company plans to retire virtually all of its remaining copper lines — and walk away from what it leaves behind. An estimated 90,000 miles of lead-sheathed cables remain, many hanging from utility poles in neighborhoods just like ours.
Daran's plan: force AT&T to fund the removal. The recycled copper itself — at $6.50/lb — helps offset cleanup costs. Instead of District 49 paying to clean up AT&T's mess, the copper should pay for it.
District 49 Deserves a Fighter.
Daran Thomas is running to deliver results — not promises.