The Alamance News, Former legislative candidate Ed Priola launches bid for county commissioner

Ed earned his bachelor's degree in political science from SUNY New Paltz, his master's degree in organizational communication from Bowie State University, and a doctorate degree in management from the University of Maryland University College. He is married to his wife, Larisa. He previously volunteered for Alamance County Meals on Wheels.

Ed has worked as a college professor, and has experience working internationally teaching self-governance and free enterprise. In the United States, he served as the public affairs director of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Additionally, he has been a substitute teacher in the Alamance Burlington School System.

Ed Priola previously ran for state representative of District 63 in 2022, but did not win.

As of June 14, 2024, Ed Priola’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Public Services

Candidate website

Believes in reducing taxes and wasteful spending to allow taxpayers to keep more of their money.

Believes "free market principles are the bedrock of the American economy" and supports minimal government interference in business.

Opposes policies that "pick winners and losers," serve special interests, or subsidize favored businesses. Believes government control hampers economic growth and mirrors "failed socialist experiments."

Opposes policies that "pick winners and losers," serve special interests, or subsidize favored businesses, and believes government control hampers economic growth and mirrors "failed socialist experiments."

Believes businesses and farms, not the government, drive economic growth and job creation.

Believes North Carolina should lead in economic freedom by minimizing barriers for small businesses and encouraging job creation.

Believes Alamance County needs policies that promote smart economic growth, benefiting everyone and attracting diverse investments in industry, services, and family agriculture.

Opposes "maxing out credit cards and depleting retirement savings to make ends meet."

- Believes in reducing taxes and wasteful spending to allow taxpayers to keep more of their money.
- Believes "free market principles are the bedrock of the American economy" and supports minimal government interference in business.
- Opposes policies that "pick winners and losers," serve special interests, or subsidize favored businesses, and believes government control hampers economic growth and mirrors "failed socialist experiments."
- Believes businesses and farms, not the government, drive economic growth and job creation.
- Believes North Carolina should lead in economic freedom by minimizing barriers for small businesses and encouraging job creation.
- Believes Alamance County needs policies that promote smart economic growth, benefiting everyone and attracting diverse investments in industry, services, and family agriculture.
- Opposes "maxing out credit cards and depleting retirement savings to make ends meet."

Economy

Supports advocating for systemic changes to ensure equitable participation and outcomes in educational programs, addressing disproportionality based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and other factors.

Believes taxpayer dollars should follow students to their chosen educational institutions. Supports expanding family options beyond public schools.

Believes taxpayer dollars should follow students to their chosen educational institutions, and supports expanding family options beyond public schools.

Believes in promoting excellence for school counselors and the communities they serve through advocacy, leadership, professional development, and evidence-based best practices. Supports equity and access for all in education.

Believes in promoting excellence for school counselors and the communities they serve through advocacy, leadership, professional development, and evidence-based best practices.

Believes short-sightedness, indifference, and incompetence are root causes of mismanagement in education funding. Said, "almost $19 million initially allocated to air quality improvements was diverted to one-time bonuses," neglecting critical infrastructure projects.

Believes "short-sightedness, indifference, and incompetence" are root causes of mismanagement in education funding, saying, "Almost $19 million initially allocated to air quality improvements was diverted to one-time bonuses," neglecting critical infrastructure projects.

Believes in addressing racism and bias in schools and communities. Supports anti-racism education for all students.

Believes in addressing racism and bias in schools and communities, and supports "anti-racism education" for all students.

- Supports advocating for systemic changes to ensure equitable participation and outcomes in educational programs, addressing disproportionality based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and other factors.
- Believes taxpayer dollars should follow students to their chosen educational institutions, and supports expanding family options beyond public schools.
- Believes in promoting excellence for school counselors and the communities they serve through advocacy, leadership, professional development, and evidence-based best practices.
- Believes "short-sightedness, indifference, and incompetence" are root causes of mismanagement in education funding, saying, "Almost $19 million initially allocated to air quality improvements was diverted to one-time bonuses," neglecting critical infrastructure projects.
- Believes in addressing racism and bias in schools and communities, and supports "anti-racism education" for all students.

Education

Believes law enforcement in Alamance County needs support against rising crime. Opposes efforts to "defund the police" and prevent local authorities from collaborating with ICE.

Believes law enforcement in Alamance County needs support against rising crime, and opposes efforts to "defund the police" and prevent local authorities from collaborating with ICE.

Believes that law enforcement response times are limited and supports the Second Amendment as essential for personal and community safety. Said, "Safety in Alamance County begins with the vigilant defense of this inalienable right."

Believes that law enforcement response times are limited and supports the Second Amendment as essential for personal and community safety, saying, "Safety in Alamance County begins with the vigilant defense of this inalienable right."

Believes school law enforcement officers should be carefully selected, trained, not involved in routine discipline, and regularly evaluated for compliance with National Association of School Resource Officers' standards.

Believes the threat of gang violence is real and close to home. Said, "victims who were hacked with machetes, shot numerous times, and decapitated."

Believes the threat of gang violence is real and close to home.

Believes social workers must actively oppose racism and oppression, supporting movements like Black Lives Matter. Advocates for dismantling institutional and structural racism, particularly in schools, to fully embrace community diversity.

Believes social workers must actively oppose racism and oppression, supporting movements like Black Lives Matter, and advocates for dismantling institutional and structural racism, particularly in schools, to fully embrace community diversity.

Believes the Second Amendment "guarantees our rights."

Believes "secure borders keep all Americans safe." Supports strong border security as a key component of public safety.

Believes "secure borders keep all Americans safe," and supports strong border security as a key component of public safety.

- Believes law enforcement in Alamance County needs support against rising crime, and opposes efforts to "defund the police" and prevent local authorities from collaborating with ICE.
- Believes that law enforcement response times are limited and supports the Second Amendment as essential for personal and community safety, saying, "Safety in Alamance County begins with the vigilant defense of this inalienable right."
- Believes school law enforcement officers should be carefully selected, trained, not involved in routine discipline, and regularly evaluated for compliance with National Association of School Resource Officers' standards.
- Believes the threat of gang violence is real and close to home.
- Believes social workers must actively oppose racism and oppression, supporting movements like Black Lives Matter, and advocates for dismantling institutional and structural racism, particularly in schools, to fully embrace community diversity.
- Believes the Second Amendment "guarantees our rights."
- Believes "secure borders keep all Americans safe," and supports strong border security as a key component of public safety.

Public Safety

Believes that people are "threatened with eviction because they can’t pay their property taxes."

Believes in lowering property taxes and spending taxpayer resources wisely. Said, “I am very grateful to have [Commissioner Lashley’s] support as we fight to lower property taxes.”

Believes in lowering property taxes and spending taxpayer resources wisely.

- Believes that people are "threatened with eviction because they can’t pay their property taxes."
- Believes in lowering property taxes and spending taxpayer resources wisely.

Housing & Urban Development

Transportation & Infrastructure

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Ed Priola

Believes government should "take less, spend wisely, and do it transparently." Supports being a "strong conservative voice for taxpayers."

Believes in removing barriers to small businesses. Supports reducing regulations and taxes to foster economic growth.

The candidate's website says, "In October 2021, the ABSS Board of Education voted 4-3 to divert $10.5 million in federal COVID-19 stimulus funding toward Christmas bonuses. Votes in favor were cast by Ryan Bowden, Sandy Ellington-Graves, Patsy Simpson, and Donna Westbrooks. Votes against were cast by Wayne Beam, Allison Gant, and Tony Rose, who insisted the money be used for air quality improvement projects. Patsy Simpson responded: “We will find a way for our children to breathe better later on when it comes to air quality.” Then, in November 2022, the Board of Education again voted to divert another $8.2 million from air quality improvements to one-time bonuses. (Didn’t the school board vote to use designated money for air quality improvements on teacher bonuses? August 24, 2023)"

Believes every child deserves a world-class education, regardless of zip code. Supports equitable access to quality education for all children.

The candidate's website says, "Meanwhile, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) reported alarming overall performance scores, with 17 of 35 traditional ABSS schools receiving Ds or Fs, and a declining four-year graduation rate for the second consecutive year. (Nearly half of county schools receive D & F school performance grades for 2022-23, September 7, 2023; Four-year graduation rate declines for second year in a row, September 7, 2023)"

The candidate's website says, "Just before the school year was supposed to begin, mold was discovered at Cummings High School and Broadview Middle School. (Possible mold contamination discovered at two more ABSS schools, August 21, 2023) The mold problem escalated quickly, affecting more than a dozen schools and delaying school openings by a week across Alamance County. (No. of ABSS schools with potential mold problem grows; fifth with possible problem: Williams High School, August 22, 2023; ABSS officials acknowledge widespread mold contamination in ABSS schools, August 22, 2023; Mold assessment of ABSS schools will delay school openings across Alamance County until Sept. 5, August 22, 2023) Once toxigenic mold was discovered at additional schools — bringing the total number of ABSS facilities with mold to 33 — school openings were delayed by another week. (ABSS school openings delayed for another week, until Sept. 11 because of mold, September 2, 2023)"

The candidate's website says, "The ABSS Board of Education’s 5-1 decision to institute fees for public records requests requiring more than four hours of staff time raised concerns about potential limitations on public access to information. Votes in favor of the new fees were cast by Ryan Bowden, Sandy Ellington-Graves, Chuck Marsh, Charles Parker, and Donna Westbrooks. The sole vote against was cast by Dan Ingle. (ABSS likely to start charging fees for public records requests, October 12, 2023; School board OKs new fees for ‘extensive’ public records requests, November 30, 2023) Not too long afterward, The Alamance News revealed that the school system had fallen victim to a phishing scam, resulting in an initial loss exceeding $302,000 in capital funding. Rather than being disclosed publicly, knowledge of the incident emerged following a request for public records. (ABSS falls for phishing scam, which costs $300K; insurance to cover loss, December 14, 2023)"

- Supports advocating for systemic changes to ensure equitable participation and outcomes in educational programs, addressing disproportionality based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and other factors.
- Believes in promoting excellence for school counselors and the communities they serve through advocacy, leadership, professional development, and evidence-based best practices.
- Believes "short-sightedness, indifference, and incompetence" are root causes of mismanagement in education funding, saying, "Almost $19 million initially allocated to air quality improvements was diverted to one-time bonuses," neglecting critical infrastructure projects.
- Believes in addressing racism and bias in schools and communities, and supports "anti-racism education" for all students.

Believes people are not free when they are afraid, citing a 2020 survey where 50% of North Carolinians fear physical assault and 73% worry about home break-ins.

Supports law enforcement and first responders to ensure community safety.

Supports cutting property taxes as a top priority for Alamance County.

Ed Priola is the son of Robert, a U.S. Air Force veteran, and Mary, a registered nurse. He has a brother, Ron, who was a military police officer, and a sister, Sherry, who became a nurse practitioner. Ed holds a B.A. in Political Science from SUNY New Paltz, an M.A. in Organizational Communication from Bowie State University, and a Doctor of Management from the University of Maryland University College. Information about where he lives, his church attendance, and details about his immediate family, such as a spouse or children, are not provided.

Ed Priola has worked as a college professor, teaching and promoting American values to his students. He has experience working internationally in formerly socialist countries, such as Afghanistan, Romania, and Albania, focusing on teaching self-governance and free enterprise. In the United States, he served as the Public Affairs Director of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Additionally, he has been a substitute teacher in the Alamance Burlington School System from 2022 to 2023.

As of July 8, 2024, Ed Priola’s website did not contain information on this issue.

- County Commissioners create and pass laws at the county-level. These laws show up in very tangible ways, such as determining how much you pay property and sales tax rates, public transportation, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners are responsible for preparing and passing the county budget. The budget determines how much funding goes to various public services, such as public transportation, law enforcement, repairing roads, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners oversee the administrative duties of your county’s government to ensure the safety, comfort, and well-being of county residents.
- County Commissioners can create, change, or abolish offices, positions, departments that are not required by law. 
- County Commissioners are elected to 4-year terms, with no term limits. Typically, you only vote for the County Commissioner that represents your county commission district.