Hometown Voices: Wake Forest voters express concern about health care, role of government, ahead of 2020

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (WTVD) -- ABC 11's Hometown Voices Listening Tour pulled in to Wake Forest this week as we continue to talk to voters all across the viewing area to find out what issues they care about most in the run up to Vote 2020.

The population of this historic town in northeast Wake County is a mix of longtime and new residents, and has historically been more conservative. In 2016, about 60% of voters supported President Donald Trump.

On our visit to Shorty's Hot Dogs, patrons were more interested in speaking about specific issues instead of specific candidates.

"I am conservative, I have a strong faith, but I'm trying to keep an open mind because we've just got a lot of problems," Carla Mills said. "I'm very concerned. We've been fortunate through insurance but not everyone has that."

Mills, sitting at a table with her parents, Frank and Robbie Moore, said health care is a prominent issue for her this year.

"I've got aging parents, and I worry about their prescription drug costs," she said.

"Being retired and a senior citizen, our concern number one would be the drug cost," Robbie Moore said. "Health care plan and the drug cost."

Asked about potential solutions, including a government-run system sometimes called "Medicare for All", Frank Moore answered with an emphatic "no."

"The government is not supposed to take care of everything. There's got to be a happy medium somewhere and it can be worked out."

Many people we spoke with shared their concerns about a growing government, including in education.

Kim Nugent, who has a daughter in college, said she dislikes the idea of some progressive candidates proposing an end to college debt.

"I feel like why should I save up money to send my child to school if everyone else is getting off scott-free for everything they did before?"

Nugent, however, also agreed that the cost of higher education is skyrocketing to an unreasonable level. Her future in-laws, seated next to her, concur.

"When I went to school for college it was a whole lot less than it is now," Shelly Moffit said. "The reform should come in why is college education price going up?"

Shelly's daughter, Lauren, is engaged and planning a wedding for next year. She admits that she chose to attend Wake Tech because of its affordability.

"Having a family is important to me and I wanted to make sure when I have kids, I don't have to worry about paying off my debt while also supporting my kids."

ABC11's Hometown Voices is currently visiting communities across the Triangle. Earlier visits included Southeast Raleigh and Johnston County.