Posted on 06/22/2015 4:57:31 PM PDT by iowamark
The North Carolina Republican Party elected its first black chairman Saturday, June 6, in an upset victory over the candidate backed by Gov. Pat McCrory and other top leaders in the GOP establishment.
“I’m humbled by the win, and it speaks volumes to the delegates who have made their voices be made known,” Hasan Harnett said. As for whether his victory will help broaden the party’s base to more black voters, he added: “I think it’s a good start and there’s much more work to be done.”
Collins had been endorsed by McCrory, U.S. Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis and the top leaders at the General Assembly: Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore.
Some delegates were unhappy with what they considered to be top leaders trying to predetermine the race’s outcome. Endorsements for Collins, a regional party leader, came within hours of departing Chairman Claude Pope announcing his decision not to seek a second term...
Harnett, a campaign manager for a 2014 congressional candidate and minority outreach director for the state GOP, had been in the race weeks before Pope’s announcement. He said he made 4,000 personal phone calls with delegates to the convention since mid-April.
Harnett, 39, will serve at a time when Republicans control both the legislature and governor’s office for the first time in more than 140 years. The 2016 election will feature the presidential race, along with re-election bids by McCrory and Burr.
“We need a bold, reinvigorated Republican Party who listens to grassroots,” Harnett said during his nomination speech, in which he arrived in the delegate hall in Raleigh with a small marching band drum line banging out a beat to rev up the crowd. “Together, we will win in 2016 because teamwork “
(Excerpt) Read more at wschronicle.com ...
So what’s?
I would rather read that NC had elected a principled conservative to this post. What does his skin color have to do with it?
He can’t be all bad if the GOPe was backing the other guy.
Here we have the grass-roots conservatives, libertarians and blacks of the state coming together. It is strange how these things go.
I agree with the statement that this is not a repudiation of the top elected Republicans of the state. What it is, though, is that we want the party to be open, welcoming to new members, and in touch with the grass-roots.
Vernon Robinson, “the black Jesse Helms,” is a solid conservative who has has associated with libertarians and TeaParty types forever. (Meaning, since 1991.) This year, he is a top fundraiser for Ben Carson who has kind of the opposite personality.
A few years back, now, I attended a Republican state convention in Georgia, where one of the upstart black candidates for party office said her family was Republican since before they had the right to vote. With all the creepiness in that other party, I’m thinking it’s time for our people to come home.
Just the other day, I was wondering what happened to Robinson. Thanks for your post.
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