This week Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston said that former Commissioner Alan Branson, who is challenging the $1.7 billion school bond that passed in the May primary election, is following the same tactics as former President Donald Trump and many other Republicans across the country.
Alston said Branson is simply doing everything he can to cast doubt upon election results.
“He’s trying to continue pushing ‘The Big Lie’” Alston said, referring to the term Trump critics use regarding Trump’s denial of his loss in the 2020 presidential election.
Branson and his attorneys have filed complaints with the Guilford County Board of Election arguing that taxpayer money was used illegally to help the $1.7 million school bond pass.
Alston said the school bond’s passed with 61 percent of the voters approving.
“It’s not like it was 51 percent to 49,” Alston said of the victory margin.
He added that Branson used the same “Trump” tactics two years ago when he lost a close election to current Guilford County Commissioner Mary Beth Murphy. At that time, Branson challenged the election results, which meant Branson continued to be a commissioner until the challenge was settled in Murphy’s favor.
“He was making votes that rightly should have been Mary Beth’s votes,” Alston said. “He’s been using the same tactics Republicans all over the country are using – Trump’s attempt to call into question all election results.”
Alston also said that, in this case, Branson, who is currently the Republican at-large commissioner candidate running against Democrat Kay Cashion, is trying to drum up the “35 percent of Trump voters” in the county – but Alston said that he believes this is a losing strategy for Branson.
“I think he has some loose marbles,” Alston said of the former commissioner.
“The vast majority of voters wanted the school bond referendum to pass – 61 percent,” Alston said. “I hope he [Branson] loses the race to Kay 61 percent to 39 percent,” adding that that would be a bit of poetic justice for Branson given Branson’s attack on the large school bond referendum.
Poor Skippy….if you didn’t have a guilty conscience this inquiry would not brother you, so proves you are hiding something. Branson and many other citizens want to know the truth and we are glad that Branson is standing up for us. Sorry Skippy, you will have to wait a little longer to get that new swimming pool in your yard.
Never cared for Alston or what he thinks but he works the system well.
He is what makes us less great again everyday!
I’ll try one more time: I posted a comment about the City Council illegally having a meeting without informing the public. Conveniently, the comment met with the internet not responding. So now I’m going to comment on this article about Alan Branson using “Trump-tactics”. I can’t make heads or tails about what that means, because he is challenging a $1.7 million school bond. Wow! In my read of this the only voices being spoken of in this article are the Democrats. Makes me wonder about the Republicans and what they really think or will do.
Perhaps the issue is that Alston is using “Biden-tactics” which involves distraction, misinformation, and totally changing the subject to confuse anyone who isn’t able to think critically, reason, or do simple math and budgeting because they went to public schools after the mid-1970s.
Alston did not address the issue of illegally using tax payer money to sway the 61%. And that is 61% of voters that turned out for a primary election not one in November.
Quit crying skip as far as challenging an election Mr Branson was only following what is written as law in an election as far as the school bond what was done was not legal by using taxpayer money to push the advertising for the bond was wrong. Had the shoe been on the other foot You would have been standing on your head screaming about it. Just play fair or don’t play. As far as Mr. Branson having loose marbles at least he has marbles to be loose. you on the other hand are a lot of bricks short of a full load. Go on down and cry with your loud mouth clone
Right. He isn’t challenging the election results. He is challenging how the Bond was promoted.
Several things of note:
Skip keeps touting “61%” like that’s supposed to represent the county. Uhhh, no! It’s only 61% of the few that showed up during a mid-term primary. It should be criminal to even put something that big in the ballot at such a time when low turnout is expected. This whole issue isn’t about anyone named Trump, what percentage of votes it got, or if it passed or failed. It’s about advertising possibly being funded outside of the allowed parameters for such issues by using public dollars. I hope Branson rips them a new one and wins in November just to prove the point. Sorry Kay, everyone has to hang up their hat eventually, and this fall ain’t looking good for team blue. People are growing tired of the status quo.
Seems to me the 72 vote difference between Branson and Murphy was worth a challenge.
I disagree with Mr. Alston. Mr. Branson is using Democrat tactics and it’s about darn time someone on the conservative side started doing it!
Absolutely. The democrats aren’t the only ones who can use the courts to change election results. But they have raised that bar yo a standard I hope Branson can equal
How have democrats used courts to change election results? By beating down the Big Lie in courts over and over again!?
Slanderous Skip not being very sensitive to those folks struggling with mental illness. Such flippant hatred is always hand in hand with tax happy liberal progressive self dealers. What a terrible repressive for Guilford County where grifters and conartist career politicians reign. Don’t worry the county will pickup the libel suit costs….
I would like a ballot initiative that says the money per pupil follows the student wherever they choose to go. Not billions into a school system of deferred maintenance and poor education.