Republican gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith, a state senator from Clayton, stopped in Union County on Wednesday as part of his campaign across the state.

"We're hitting 100 counties," Smith said between stops at Union Academy and Monroe Airport. While in the county Smith tried to shake as many hands as possible. He said he wants to connect with the people of North Carolina. "The strength of North Carolina is our people," he said. "They are self reliant, strong people and I relate to that."

Smith, who has served as a county commissioner and three terms in the state Senate says he thinks Raleigh is ready for change and that he is that change. "You always have to have a strategic plan and then execute that plan," he said. Not a stranger to hardships, Smith said they only made him stronger. In his book, A Little Extra Effort, a portion of chapter seven reads, "Whether it was grain embargo, droughts, interest rates or just poor management, we had lost money and we didn't see the trend changing."

In chapter eight Smith explains how these hardships taught him lessons such as humility and allowed him to grow his business.

According to Smith, the governor must delicately balance national responsibilities with local ones. "It's a balance of persuasion and the proper use of authority," he said. The governor is the CEO of the state...the buck stops with him."

After visits throughout Monroe and Union County, Smith had a barbecue at Weddington Swim and Racquet club. "The key is are we going to plan for the future?," he said. "We need the right size government doing the right thing."

The article above by Jason deBruyn was published in the The Enquirer-Journal on November 9, 2007.