The Guilford County Republican Party invited Republican candidates to its executive committee meeting on Monday, Feb. 10, and among those who attended were four statewide candidates.
The primary is Tuesday March 3, with the presidential races at the top of long ballots.
Guilford County Republican Party Chairman David Gleeson gave each candidate four minutes to speak and then time to answer a few questions.
Both Republican candidates for North Carolina superintendent of public instruction, Catherine Truitt and District 68 state Rep. Craig Horn, attended.
Truitt said her 13 years as a teacher plus her work as an education advisor in the administration of Gov. Pat McCrory gave her the experience necessary for the job. When asked if she would abolish the Common Core curriculum, she said the superintendent didn’t have the authority to do that.
Horn said his experience in the state House where he was chairman of five committees on education meant he knew how the public education system in the state worked. He said that when you totaled up all the funding that went into public education it was $20 billion a year and the state needed someone who knew how to run a large organization.
Larry Holmquist is running for the US Senate against Sen. Thom Tillis, Sharon Hudson and Paul Wright – none of whom were there.
Holmquist also ran for the Senate against Sen. Richard Burr in 2016. He said he would always vote the most conservative way possible and be a strong consistent supporter of President Donald Trump.
Ron Pearce is running for North Carolina commissioner of insurance against the current Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey, who wasn’t present. Pearce, who is a contractor in Charlotte, didn’t have anything good to say about the Department of Insurance, which he says is run by the insurance companies.
District 5 Guilford County Board of Commissioner candidate Troy Lawson spoke, but his opponent Cyndy Hayworth was not present.
Lawson, who is a former chairman of the Guilford County Republican Party, spoke about being a lifelong member of the Republican Party and about all the work he had done for the party.
District 6 Guilford County Board of Commissioner candidate Jason Ewing was there but his opponent, Jim Davis, was not. Ewing talked about his experience as a member of the High Point City Council for seven years and the need to keep that seat Republican.
District 59 State Rep. Jon Hardister is running for reelection against Allen Chappell, who wasn’t present.
Hardister talked about the great economy in the state and attributed it to the Republican tax cuts and economic plan.
Candidates who didn’t have primaries were also given time to say a few words and they included District 62 Rep. John Faircloth, candidate for state House District 57 Chris Meadows, state Senate District 27 candidate Sebastian King, and Guilford County Board of Education District 5 candidate Michelle Bardsley.
Not only does Bardsley not have a primary opponent, currently she has no Democratic opponent either.
