Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Jeff Phillips has announced that he’s endorsing Republican Cyndy Hayworth for the District 5 county commissioners seat that he currently holds.
Phillips, who was elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2012, has been very involved with that job – missing only one commissioners meeting in eight years. So, when Phillips decided not to seek election again in 2020, that stunned many political observers. Regardless, earlier this year, he, along with fellow Republican Hank Henning, told the Rhino Times that they would not be running for reelection this year.
Phillips handed out a glowing endorsement of Hayworth on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
“The future of Guilford County remains incredibly bright when you consider the possibility of this lady, Cyndy Hayworth, as your next District 5 County Commissioner,” Phillips posted on the social media site. “Granted, I still have most of 2020 to serve as Chairman of our Board and December seems a long way off at this point, but as we all know the next 11 months will fly by at breakneck speed. That said, it is not typical for me to endorse many candidates since doing so puts my personal, professional, and political credibility on the line. This, however, is one of those times that I have chosen to do just that without any hesitation.”
Phillips is certainly familiar with Hayworth: She’s the operations manager at Phillips’ wealth management company. Before joining that firm, Hayworth was the executive assistant to Mike Weaver, the chairman of the board of Weaver Companies. She has also served as the president and CEO of Junior Achievement of the Triad and served as a member of the Greensboro Zoning Commission as well as on other commissions.
In the Republican March 3 primary for the District 5 seat, she’s pitted against Troy Lawson, a former chairman of the Guilford County Republican Party and former candidate for the NC House of Representatives. The winner of that race will face the winner of the Democratic primary in the November 2020 election.
Phillips said late last year that Hayworth has “knowledge, skill and deep connections in the community,” and he added that he believes Hayworth will be a very strong candidate and an excellent commissioner if elected to the seat.
In his Facebook post, he went into more detail: “I know when Cyndy is elected in November she will always – without fail – put our citizens and the communities of Guilford County first,” he wrote. “I know that about her because, among other reasons, I have worked with her on a professional basis for the past 4 years. She has been an invaluable part of our firm here at Midtown Financial Advisors. And guess what she’s been doing? Selflessly serving our clients and my partners with excellence – day in and day out. Stay Tuned.”
