Jeremy D. Adams, a candidate for the N.C. House of Representatives, believes it’s time for more young people to become active in politics and work together to solve some of the problems facing the state and the nation.

“It’s important that the younger generation gets to participate in the political process,” he said. “Let’s focus on those areas that we have in common and come together on the issues.”

“And young people are going to be key in this,” he said. “We, as a state and a nation, need to take a hard look at what we’re doing, and young people are saying, ‘Don’t exclude us. Don’t cut us out of the conversation.’”

Adams is seeking the 6th District seat in the state House. The district includes all of Dare, Hyde and Washington counties and part of Beaufort County.

He is one of three Republicans who are vying in the May 8 primary for the Republican nomination in the 6th District. The other candidates are Mattie Lawson of Kill Devil Hills and Arthur Williams of Washington. The GOP primary winner will face Paul Tine of Kitty Hawk, the Democratic nominee, in the general election in November.

Incumbent GOP Rep. Bill Cook did not seek re-election. He is vying in the Republican primary to be the GOP nominee for the 1st District seat in the state.

Adams said North Carolinians are losing much of their individual liberty, in part, because of economic policies that have led to excessive taxes being imposed on individuals and corporations.

“Without good economic policies, you can’t have individual freedom,” he said. “Most people don’t understand how the current economic policies hurt them in the long run.”

Adams praised the efforts last year of the Republican-led state Legislature in reducing spending. He said more should be done to reduce taxes and cut government’s wasteful spending.

As an example of a program that could be cut, Adams cited the N.C. Global Transpark in Kinston, a 2,500-acre combined industrial and airport site that, he said, largely sits empty despite having received millions of dollars in government funds.

He also cites the now-abandoned plans for a $3 billion international shipping terminal near Southport as another example of government waste.

Adams also said that under the current tax structure, money is taken out of productive North Carolinians’ pockets that would have otherwise been spent on goods and services that would help the economy grow.

And the higher the taxes, the more the economy is hurt, he said.

“Folks who work for a wage should be able to keep more of their money,” he said. “Whenever money goes for taxes, we lose production in the economy.”

Adams also said it’s time to reduce the corporate-tax rate in North Carolina to encourage industrial and business growth.

“North Carolina’s taxes are so high and the red tape is so pervasive, we can’t get industry to come here,” he said. “We need to change that.”

Adams is opposed to recent efforts by the Republican-controlled state Legislature to impose tolls on ferries that cross the Pamlico and Neuse rivers and raise the tolls on other state ferries. Adams said he believes the ferries are part of the state’s highway system and, at the very least, should be free to North Carolina residents.

Adams said he would work to block excessive regulation of the commercial-fishing industry and recent restrictions by the federal government on access to some North Carolina’s beaches.

After leaving the active military, Adams served in the N.C. National Guard, most recently returning from a deployment to the Doura Province near Baghdad in Iraq from 2009 to 2010. While in Iraq, he served in more than 260 combat missions with the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team.

He is enrolled in the film and television program at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va. He plans to produce documentaries on banking and economics and, eventually, feature films about soldiers.

Adams also holds a state real-estate broker’s license.

He has been a volunteer with the Special Olympics, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Boys Scouts. He has coached soccer for 5-year-olds.

Adams lives in Nags Head. He has an 11-year-old son.