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MUNICipal elections matter

6/15/2021

Municipal Elections will be held for Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro in November. Voter turnout for non-presidential years without national races is usually VERY low and we need every Democrat who lives in those two towns to come out and vote. But FIRST, we need great candidates.

While our town commissioner and mayoral seats are non-partisan, it's important that Democrats run in these positions, and it's vital that we support them.

In Wilkesboro, Democrat Russ Ferree is running for re-election, so there another is seat available (Nellie Archibald has changed her registration to 'unaffiliated' and is running for re-election.) This is not an election year for Wilkesboro mayor.

For North Wilkesboro, there are two commissioner seats and mayor up this election. Democrat Debbie Ferguson is not running for re-election after serving four terms. (Angela Day has changed her registration to 'unaffiliated' and is running for re-election.) Two Democrats are running for mayor: Mayor Robert Johnson is running for re-election, and Michael Cooper is also running for the same seat.

We urge Democrats to come forward and run. Since the offices are non-partisan, Democrats CAN actually get elected in this county and serve their community with the values that people ultimately appreciate. More importantly these elections usually have very low turnout - in the low hundreds - and are sometimes decided by a mere vote or two - because there are no run-offs.

If you're interested in politics and feel called to serve your community in a positive way, this is an excellent opportunity for you. These are all 4-year terms. The filing deadline is July 16th at noon.

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The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act must be passed!

6/2/2021

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On the day that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of the murder of George Floyd, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison and DNC Black Caucus Chair Virgie Rollins released the following statement, in response:

“This verdict is a step forward for accountability, but there’s still work to be done in the names of Georg in re Floyd, Daunte Wright, Breonna Taylor, and the countless others on a list that stretches far too long and reflects a pain that has become all too familiar for Black families in this country. The reality is that systemic racism must be eradicated. No one should be at risk in the United States because of the color of their skin.

“We cannot wait another moment to do what is necessary to ensure a better, safer future for our children. The DNC recognizes that peaceful protest is an outlet for our cries for change. And the time for action is now: Republicans in the Senate must join Democrats to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which will fundamentally transform policing in America as it addresses implicit biases and racial profiling, curbs police brutality, and enforces accountability. Enough is enough.”

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Richard "Woody" Madison Appointed to 3rd Vice Chair

12/5/2020

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We are so happy to have Woody join the Executive Committee of the Wilkes County Democratic Party.

More about Woody Madison....

" I was born in 1994 in Yorktown, VA. I moved to NC before high school and attended North Rowan High School in Spencer, NC. I completed my undergrad degree at Appalachian State in secondary mathematics education. I am currently working on my Masters in mathematics at Appalachian. I currently work at a High School in Caldwell County teaching Math. I met my wife in our modern algebra class at App and thank goodness I did. I am not sure I would have passed without her! I am very interested in sports particularly soccer and football.

I also have a huge passion for reading. I particularly enjoy reading anything that provides historical perspective on what is currently happening in our modern world. Overall, I believe to make the world a better place for everyone we need to progress as a society and as a nation."

- Richard "Woody" Madison

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Honor RBG's Memory: Don't Forget The Judges

9/28/2020

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg's flag-draped casket lies in state at the US Capitol while US Congresswomen pay their respects on Sept 25th, 2020.

The news of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's passing was a devastating blow. Over the past week, many of us have experienced a whole litany of emotion: sadness that we loss a titan for human rights and an amazing legal mind; anger that she had to battle cancer so many times and continue to work up until the very end because of the current state of our democracy; rage at the hypocrisy of the GOP as they rushed to nominate through their replacement and backpedal from all they said in 2016; and reverence at this fearless Supreme Court Justice being the first woman to ever lie in state at the US Capitol.

May her memory be a blessing.

But just as she would never rest and would continue to move forward, so must we. That is why her passing has pointed out the dire need for balance from the judicial branch at all levels of government. This election, we have many judicial races that are of vital importance at the state level. So, while Republicans are busy making sure Democrats have no voice in the composition of the US Supreme Court, we DO have a say in who will lead our NC Supreme Court, who will serve on the Supreme Court, and who will serve as justices on the NC Court of Appeals.

There are EIGHT judicial races on the ballot so you need to know who your Democratic Party judicial candidates are to lend the courts balance, fairness and, above all, dignity to those that stand before them. Whether they are victim or accused, those in the courtroom have no need for partisan ideology and demagoguery. These candidates achieve those important goals. Make sure you vote for them on your Absentee Ballot by mail, your Early In-Person Voting, or when you cast your ballot on November 3rd.

NC Supreme Court: VOTE FOR THESE THREE

NC SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE:
Cheri Beasley
chiefjusticebeasley.com
She has served on the court since 2014 and has been Chief Justice since March of 2019. Before serving on the court, she served 4 years as an Associate Judge on the NC Court of Appeals, was a District Court Judge for 10 years in the 12th District, and was a Public Defender in Cumberland County. She is the first black woman to serve as Chief Justice of NC. "I believe all North Carolinians should have access to fair and impartial justice, no matter who they are. I will continue to work for an independent court system that people can trust."

NC SUPREME COURT:
Lucy Inman
lucyinmanforjustice.com
Inman has served on the NC Court of Appeals since 2015. Prior to that, she was a NC Superior Court Judge for 4 years, a private practice trial attorney for 8 years, and was a law clerk to NC Chief Justice James Exum for 2 years. "I am running for the NC Supreme Court to preserve the rule of law, to keep our justice system fair and free from partisan politic and ideology, and to pursue equal justice for all."

NC SUPREME COURT:
Mark Davis
justicemarkdavis.com
Davis has served as a Justice on the NC Supreme Court since March of 2019. Before that, he was a Judge on the NC Court of Appeals for 6 years. He served as General Counsel to the Governor, Special Deputy Attorney General for the NC Justice Department, and was a Litigation Attorney for Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice. "I have written over 500 opinions as an appellate judge. I am a strong believer in judicial independence. I believe my background and judicial experience qualify me to continue serving on the Court."

NC Court of Appeals: VOTe for these FIVE

SEAT 4, COURT OF APPEALS
Tricia Shields
shieldsforjudge.com
Shields has represented clients throughout all levels of the Court System. She began as a clerk at the Court of Appeals in 1985. She is an instructor at Campbell Law School and president of a statewide attorney group. "From my 35 years of practice, I know how important it is that Court of Appeals Judges are fair, impartial, and respect the law and the impact of their decisions on real people."

SEAT 13, COURT OF APPEALS
Chris Brook
keepjudgechrisbrook.com
Appointed by Governor Cooper in 2019, he has authored more than 75 opinions that speak to his rigor and fairness. He has a long experience as a public interest attorney, including 7 years as Legal Director of the ACLU-NC. "I went to Carolina Law because of what our justice system aspires to: equal justice under the law for everyone."

SEAT 5, COURT OF APPEALS
Lora Cubbage
cubbageforjudge.com
Cubbage served for 5 years as Assistant District Attorney, 5 years as Assistant Attorney General, 2 years as District Court Judge and is currently Superior Court Judge. "To ensure: protection of rights given by the NC and US Constitutions; equal justice for all in order to regain the public trust in our judicial system; equal access to justice for all; and an independent, fair and impartial judiciary."

SEAT 6, COURT OF APPEALS
Gray Styers
styersforjudge.com
Styers served as an attorney for 30 years, was an adjunct law professor at UNC School of Law, Is a member of the NC Bar Association Board of Governors, and is the Wake County Bar Association President. He was also clerk to Chief Judge Sam Ervin III in the 4th Circuit US Court of Appeals. "I am committed to the rule of law, a fair and impartial judiciary, and equal justice for all North Carolina citizens."

SEAT 7, COURT OF APPEALS
Reuben Young
keepjudgeyoung.com
In his 32 year career, Young has served as a prosecutor, defense attorney, civil litigator, Legal Counsel to a Governor, Agency Secretary, Superior Court Judge and now the NC Court of Appeals. "Fairness and accessibility are the foundations upon which our judiciary is built. I have and will continue to support equal access to the courts and a fair, impartial independent judiciary."

With your votes, you can cast a ballot to honor the memory of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and ensure that North Carolinians receive the justice they deserve in our courtrooms.

Common Sense

9/1/2020

The following ad ran in the Wilkes Journal Patriot in August 2020:

Gov. Cooper APPOINTS TWO TO WCC TRUSTEES BOARD

8/8/2020

Dr. Alexander Erwin

Connie Sue Cox

Governor Roy Cooper recently re-appointed Connie Sue Cox, our WCDP Treasurer, to a second term of 3 years to the Wilkes Community College Board of Trustees.

The Governor also appointed Dr. Alexander Erwin of Wilkesboro as a member-at-large to the Wilkes Community College Board of Trustees. Dr. Erwin served as an adjunct professor at North Carolina A&T University and as the Dean of Division of Education at Livingstone College. Erwin has also written over 15 publications in journals and academic settings.

Both were sworn in to the Board on August 6, 2020. Congratulations to both of these distinguished Wilkes County Democrats!

Message from the Chair, Kathryn Charles: Wilkes County Democratic Party Statement on Racism and Unity after the Killing of George Floyd

7/4/2020

Along with the rest of the country, we have watched in dismay as events continue to unfold following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. His death was the most recent reminder of the epidemic of systemic racism that continues to plague our society. Before that it was Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, Botham Jean, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Alton Sterling, Freddie Gray, Laquan McDonald and many others. We now stand face to face with the ugly truth that Black lives continue to be taken with little or no consequence. We now know that we will never heal our nation’s deep wounds by remaining silent.

Responses and recent actions by the President of the United States have only exacerbated the intensity of this situation, have threatened the liberties of all Americans, and have attempted to divide us, rather than unite us.

We of the Wilkes County Democratic Party wish to make our position clear:

Racism and violence toward others on the basis of race or color is never acceptable.
We recognize the centuries-old pandemic of systemic racism and are committed to rectifying it through education, sustained activism, constructive action, and continued progress toward liberty, justice and equality for all people.

We stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement to correct the wrongs of institutional racism, state-sanctioned violence against blacks, and fight for racial justice and equality for all.
We fully support ”the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” as defined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
We reject the use of violence against persons or property, either as a means of protest or as a weapon against peaceful demonstrators.

We stand in disbelief and anger at the President’s deployment of our military and the unjustified forceful clearing of lawfully assembled citizens from Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C. We denounce the President’s use of a church and a Bible as a backdrop and prop for a self-aggrandizing photo opportunity.
We stand in support of General Mattis, General Allen, General Colin Powell and other military leaders in their condemnation of use of force by the U.S. military on its own citizens.

We find the characterization of assembly and protest areas as “battle spaces to be dominated” extremely alarming. This is the language of dictatorship, fascism and authoritarianism.

We stand opposed to the practices of racial gerrymandering, racially motivated voter suppression and voter intimidation.

We endorse the statements of former Vice President Joe Biden that we are currently in “a battle for the soul of America”, and that we are facing formidable enemies which include not only the coronavirus and the terrible impacts on Americans’ lives and livelihoods, but also the hatred and fear that have loomed over our national life for the last three years.

Each of us must search our hearts and minds for our own responses. Will we give in to the forces of anger, hatred, fear and division? Or will we reject those forces, reach out to those who are different from us, and make a commitment to move forward together as a nation?

Those of us in the Wilkes County Democratic Party have made our decision. We will continue to embrace inclusion and diversity, address the wrongs of the past, seek to understand one another, support constructive change, and do our part to form a more harmonious union in these United States.
If you feel the same way, we invite you to join us.

The Wilkes County Democratic Party

Kathryn Charles, Chair

Change begins with personal relationships

6/3/2020

This letter was originally published in the June 3rd Wilkes Journal Patriot
Michael Cooper Jr. is a journalist and attorney living in Raleigh. He was born and raised in North Wilkesboro. (and worked for many years here) He is a 2020 Presidential Leadership Scholar, a fellowship hosted by the George W. Bush Center, the Clinton Center, the George & Barbara Bush Foundation, and the LBJ Foundation.

I told a friend Saturday that despite everything in the news, “I’m still optimistic about the future of our country.” Look how far we’ve come. Look how close we are to living in a just and righteous world.

And my friend, Darren, who’s black, asked, “How much longer are we going to have to wait?” He was tired and he was frustrated and I couldn’t blame him for feeling that way.

Not after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. All in the last few weeks.

“Who cares if we get to the promised land if none of my people are with me,” he asked. I said these were growing pains, that we’ll get through this. But Darren quoted a line from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that hit me in the gut.

He said, “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” And all week I’d been silent.

That evening I joined the protesters on the grounds of our State Capitol to stand in solidarity with those who demanded justice for the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

I saw homemade signs that were all too familiar (“Black Lives Matter” and “Stop Killing Us”) and I heard the chants of “No Justice, No Peace” as a man on the edge of the crowd played “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” on his saxophone.

Later that night, my neighbor and I walked the streets of Downtown Raleigh. We smelled the tear gas. I saw images I’d only seen in the movies: cops in riot gear and dozens of smashed windows with glass shattered all over the sidewalks. And the same thing was happening in cities across the country.

I was furious. I abhor vandalism. I hated seeing the building of a local newspaper wrecked. I saw it as counterproductive to the overall cause of getting justice for those killings.

But walking around, I understood those other words of Dr. King that, “A riot is the language of the unheard.” And for too long, too many of us hadn’t been listening.

This moment and the deaths of Floyd, Taylor and Arbery are because of something bigger than police brutality and a few bad cops.

This is about America’s original sin of racism and how that’s tied to disparities in health, income, housing, education, and how different groups of people are treated by the criminal justice system.

That’s why people are in the streets. Not just because of the killings. But because a pandemic and an economic crisis are disproportionately impacting communities of color (including in Minnesota, where African-Americans make up 6 percent of the population but a third of their deaths from COVID-19). We have work to do as a society. The way to end the riots is not to suppress these feelings until they explode again the next year or the year after that.

But instead to address the underlying causes: the racial wealth gap, policies of mass-incarceration that serve as a “New Jim Crow” and the relationship between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. But this isn’t just about public policy. It’s about the way our society still sees black Americans as different and inferior.

Equality is about putting ourselves in other people’s shoes and seeing each other as equals. It means opening doors of opportunity (on non-profit boards, with grants and scholarships and through elected office).

North Carolina has never elected a black governor or U.S. senator and Wilkes County has never had a state senator, state representative, school board member, or town commissioner who was black, and we should honestly ask ourselves why? And fix that. But if we truly want to correct racial inequalities in our society that work begins at home. We can’t change America’s statistics until we change the relationships in our lives and in our neighborhoods.

Those of us who are white should ask ourselves: When was the last time we had a black friend over for dinner? When was the last time we visited their house? When was the last time we went to a predominately black wedding?

Even better, when was the last time we went to church with someone from another race? The most segregated place in America is the inside of a church on Sunday morning. And we can pretty easily do something about that.

I’m still optimistic for the future. We’re closer than ever before to making good on our founding ideals and building a country with liberty and justice for all.

But that’s going to require some conversations that are long overdue and uncomfortable. That’s going to require listening. And for people like me that requires speaking out – to say these injustices are wrong and I think we can do better – because black Americans are tired of waiting.

Wilkes County Democratic Party Needs Your Support

5/19/2020

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Dear friends and fellow Democrats,

As of this writing, we have only 167 more days before Election Day 2020, possibly the most important and consequential election of our lifetimes!  I think most of us would agree that our cherished basic freedoms, public health, economic and national security, equality, justice, Democracy, and the survival of life on this planet, are all at stake in November.

We Wilkes County Democrats must seize every opportunity to strengthen and expand our outreach to Wilkes County citizens. We must share the message of “Our Carolina Promise”:  to Our Schools, putting our teachers and our students first; to Our Health and Safety, protecting our environment, expanding Medicaid and fighting the opioid crisis; to Our Jobs, fighting for equal pay for equal work, rebuilding our infrastructure and an economy that works for everyone; and to Our People, protecting the right to vote, fighting for independent redistricting, and standing for equal rights and protections for all.
During this difficult time, we are unable to use our Headquarters for any kind of fundraising activities or voter registration, yet we know our “physical presence” in this county is vitally important! So we are holding meetings using our computers and phones, and planning our outreach activities using email, social media posts, writing letters and postcards, and making phone calls!

Your support is vital to make these efforts successful!

We need your financial support to help with publishing, printing, mailing and advertising costs, on-line training sessions, and helping our Democratic candidates win elections. So please DONATE whatever you can!

We also need your volunteer support with phone banking, letter and postcard writing, envelope stuffing, future voter registration, poll working, observing and more! I will be reaching out to volunteers soon, so please add your name to our list. Just email me, or Judy Miller at artz58djx@yahoo.com  So, please sign up to help!!!

You may contribute securely on-line by clicking here:
https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/wilkes

Or you can drop a check in the mail to us at this address:
Wilkes County Democratic Party
P.O. Box 2095
North Wilkesboro, N.C. 28659

Sending my best wishes for your health and safety,
along with my sincere appreciation for your help!

Kathryn Charles
Chair, Wilkes County Democratic Party
kathryndcharles@gmail.com

“We all do better when we ALL do Better.”

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David Wilson Brown holds Town Hall in Wilkes

2/23/2020

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David Wilson Brown is a candidate running to represent Wilkes County and others in the 5th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives. This is the office that Virginia Foxx has held for the past 15 years, and that has recently been redistricted into a new district that reaches from Gaston and Rutherford Counties, to Ashe and Alleghany, with Wilkes remaining within.

Brown is from Gaston County, and ran 2 years ago against Patrick McHenry in what was then the 10th District. He lost narrowly then, and had already filed to take on McHenry again, but then redistricting happened so he had to refile in his new district.

In the town hall, held on February 14th at the Wilkes Agricultural Center, Brown shared some of his platform and listened to the needs and suggestions of the Wilkes County Democrats in the room.

Brown spoke of a new WPA-type of program to encourage infrastructure building, school improvements, broadband expansion into rural areas, and clean energy initiatives,...all while adding jobs to our areas. This was music to our Wilkes ears. It would have a big impact in the short term and build up our schools, highways, bridges, and parks into the North Carolina that we can be proud of again.

"Public Education is the great equalizer," stated Brown. "We MUST protect it." He spoke about his idea to make public school teachers a federal tax exempt position.

Brown spoke of his recent health scare, where he had a heart attack on Christmas Eve and underwent triple bypass surgery. His recovering is going well and he attributes it to his great medical care and young age. However, the event has made him truly empathize with the fear of huge hospital bills or the lack of quality care. Healthcare for all is a no-brainer for his platform. Think about how many people you know who are staying in a job they hate solely because they need healthcare. These are people that could be entrepreneurs, or in jobs they are passionate about, going back to school or building new economies,...but they're frozen because our health system is broken. He is committed to fixing that.

He talked of "guardrails" for capitalism and greed that seem to have taken over our economy and Washington. "Corporations have strip-mined our small towns, and local farms have been crushed by these tariffs," he stated, stressing the importance of bridging the gap for corporations to pay living wages.

He described himself as a "realistic progressive" that understands rural areas' needs.

The discussions that followed featured a former Gardner Mirror employee who recalled how Donald Trump bought mirrors for his now bankrupt casinos,...but failed pay the last 25% of his invoices. This was when the Gardner family still owned the plant and the furniture industry as a whole was shifting overseas, so the mirror factories were already struggling,...but Trump didn't care, and contributed to the struggles in Wilkes.

Brown is facing a primary against Eric Nathan Hughes, another Gaston county resident who is new to politics. You can learn more about David Wilson Brown and his campaign at https://dwb4congress.com/

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