The Platform
Five Issues. Real Solutions.
District 49 has been overlooked for too long. Here's exactly what Daran Thomas will fight for in Raleigh.
Daran Thomas on Wade Avenue — looking up at the low-hanging wires that have gone unaddressed for years.
Infrastructure & Safety
Fix Wade Avenue
The I-440 to Oberlin Road corridor is a daily embarrassment. Daran lives three blocks away and experiences it firsthand — and he's done waiting.
The I-40/Wade Avenue extension is the key artery connecting RDU International Airport and Research Triangle Park to the state capital. It is one of the most economically significant corridors in North Carolina — and it looks like it hasn't been maintained in decades.
Low-hanging power lines. Broken telephone poles. Overgrown trees encroaching on the roadway. Chaotic traffic patterns that back up for miles during peak hours. Incomplete sidewalks that make pedestrian travel dangerous. This is what District 49 residents deal with every single day.
Daran Thomas lives three blocks from Wade Avenue. He drives it, walks it, and sees the neglect up close. When he's elected, fixing this corridor will be a top legislative priority — coordinating with NCDOT, the City of Raleigh, and utility providers to deliver a corridor that reflects the economic importance of the region it serves.
Daran's Action Plan
- Coordinate with NCDOT to prioritize Wade Avenue in the state transportation improvement program
- Require utility companies to address low-hanging lines and broken infrastructure along the corridor
- Complete missing sidewalk segments to make pedestrian travel safe
- Improve traffic signal timing and lane configuration to reduce peak-hour backups
Environmental Hazard
AT&T Lead Wire Cleanup
AT&T is retiring its copper network and walking away from 90,000 miles of lead-sheathed cable. District 49 shouldn't pay to clean up their mess — the copper should.
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 hanging from utility poles and buried in the ground across the country. Lead is a potent neurotoxin. When these cables degrade, they can leach lead into soil and groundwater — posing serious health risks to families, children, and pets in neighborhoods just like ours.
AT&T generated billions in profits while building this network. They should not be allowed to simply abandon it and leave communities to deal with the consequences. Daran's plan forces AT&T to fund the removal — and uses the recycled copper's own scrap value (currently $6.50/lb) to offset cleanup costs. The copper pays for the cleanup. District 49 doesn't.
Daran's Action Plan
- Legislation requiring AT&T to fund and complete removal of all lead-sheathed cable in NC by 2029
- Mandate that copper scrap proceeds offset cleanup costs before any public funds are used
- Require soil and groundwater testing along retired cable routes
- Establish penalties for non-compliance and delayed remediation
Already on the Ballot — Vote November 3rd
Lower Property Taxes
Property tax relief is already on the ballot this November 3rd. This one is simple: show up and vote for it.
Property values across District 49 have surged — and with them, property tax bills. Retirees on fixed incomes and working families are being squeezed every revaluation cycle, even when their incomes haven't changed.
The good news: property tax relief is already on the ballot for November 3rd. You don't need to wait for Raleigh to act. You just need to show up and vote yes.
Daran supports this measure and will continue fighting in the legislature for additional protections — including expanded relief for retirees and homestead exemptions that keep working families in their homes.
Daran's Action Plan
- Vote YES on property tax relief — it's on the ballot November 3rd
- Support expanded relief for retirees on fixed incomes
- Push for homestead exemptions that keep working families in their homes
- Ensure District 49 tax revenues are reinvested back into District 49
End Student Debt
Free Tuition at NC State University
NC high school graduates who attended a North Carolina public high school for at least two years should be able to attend NC State University tuition-free. Full proposal details coming soon.
North Carolina students who grew up here, went to school here, and want to build their futures here deserve a shot at a world-class university education without a lifetime of debt.
Daran's proposal: any student who graduated from a North Carolina public high school — and attended for at least two years — would be eligible for free tuition at NC State University. The full legislative proposal is being finalized and will be posted here shortly.
This is an investment in North Carolina's future workforce, economy, and communities. Students who stay in NC to study are more likely to stay in NC to work, start businesses, and raise families. That's a return on investment the whole state benefits from.
Daran's Action Plan
- Free tuition at NC State University for qualifying NC public high school graduates
- Eligibility: graduated from an NC public high school with at least 2 years attended in-state
- Full legislative proposal coming soon — check back for details
- Keep NC talent in North Carolina — invest in the students who grew up here
Public Safety & Quality of Life
Clean Up Downtown Raleigh
Downtown Raleigh should be a place families want to visit, businesses want to invest in, and residents are proud of. Right now, crime and disorder are driving people away.
Downtown Raleigh has enormous potential — great restaurants, cultural institutions, and a growing economy. But rising crime, visible disorder, and a lack of accountability are undermining that potential and making residents and visitors feel unsafe.
Daran believes in smart, effective public safety — not just more spending, but better coordination between law enforcement, social services, and community organizations. Addressing the root causes of crime while holding bad actors accountable.
A clean, safe downtown is good for everyone — residents, small business owners, workers, and visitors. Daran will fight for the resources and policies needed to make downtown Raleigh a place the whole city is proud of again.
Daran's Action Plan
- Increase accountability and coordination between law enforcement and city services
- Support small businesses impacted by crime and disorder in the downtown corridor
- Address root causes of crime through targeted social services and intervention programs
- Restore downtown Raleigh as a destination families and businesses are proud to call home
Ready to Make It Happen?
These aren't talking points — they're a plan. Help Daran get to Raleigh and deliver.