Comments for Primary “Elections” Importance | Eastern NC Now
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Amused Observer: I agree with everything you said to a point; that point being, most new politicians need guidance from leaders that understand the system, and actually how to truly "represent the people" by well knowing their constituents.
New politicians in Beaufort County have not done that well of late, except a precious few, and I can easily make that call.
Commented: Thursday, January 8th, 2026 @ 12:59 pm
By: Stan Deatherage
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Its absurd to think someone isnt a good choice because they dont have previous political experience. Career politicians seem to be self centered and corrupt. We'd be better off if more good people were willing to run and really represent the people instead of themselves and their cronies.
Commented: Thursday, January 8th, 2026 @ 12:44 pm
By: Amused Observer
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Yeah, I get your argument. Beaufort County Conservative Republicans are screwed either way and you want us to screw ourselves your way. What a choice. The local Republican Party is in freefall.
Commented: Thursday, January 8th, 2026 @ 11:57 am
By: Van Zant
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JV - We know who Armstrong's handlers are, Frankie Waters and Jimmy Dixon, both RINOs of the worst order, and since Armstrong has no political experience at all, he will be completely under their spell. It is laughable that Kidwell would take orders from the likes of Varcoe, or anybody else for that matter. He knows issues and policy very thoroughly himself and has never been anyone's puppet.
Frankie Waters wanted Armstrong to run for county commission for the seat he is vacating. Think about that. Fake Frankie Waters knows Armstrong and sees him as someone who would be the same sort of sellout county commissioner that Waters himself has been. But those from Raleigh got to Armstrong with a better offer and Frankie is now prancing around in Armstrong's entourage in his House campaign. If you want to see what Armstrong would be as a legislator, just look at what Frankie Waters has been as a commissioner. I cannot imagine that any thinking conservative would want to saddle us with a legislator who thinks like Frankie Waters.
Commented: Thursday, January 8th, 2026 @ 11:34 am
By: Rino Hunter
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P.S. - Personal destruction is a bit more than a personal slight or insult. There are things being cooked up by these haters AS WE SPEAK.
Commented: Thursday, January 8th, 2026 @ 10:44 am
By: Van Zant
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Corruption is corruption. The big picture for many of us is close to home. Who should I fear the most? The Senate money monster in Raleigh that may be beat soon, or the power mad monster in Beaufort County that is beating on people I know AS WE SPEAK.
Commented: Thursday, January 8th, 2026 @ 10:36 am
By: Van Zant
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There seems to be a big difference between those who look at races based on issues and those who have their panties in a twist over something they see as a personal slight or insult.
Commented: Thursday, January 8th, 2026 @ 10:11 am
By: Bubba
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Does anyone believe that someone installed by the RINO Raleigh elite would do anything meaningful to advance local interests? Horsehockey! Talk to Republicans in any area where they have had an operative like Armstrong installed from Raleigh. They take orders from the Raleigh political bosses and just make you think they are representing you. Kidwell has shown he will not take orders from the RINO Raleigh political bosses. Instead, when they do something leftwing like Shrimpgate, he will fight them tooth and nail.
There are things Kidwell has done like calling for Stacey Davis' resignation that I disagree with, but I am not going to get tunnel vision over that. I am going to keep my eye on the big picture.
Commented: Thursday, January 8th, 2026 @ 8:56 am
By: Conservative Voter
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CT: Who is The Penguin's handler?
Paul Varcoe What is Varcoe and who did used to work for? A carpetbagger and a carpetbagger. What do you get when you add together The Penguin, Varcoe and Buzzeo? Three elitist Yankees who feel as though they're entitled to dump on native conservatives that don't buy their crap and have the intestinal fortitude to call them out ON their crap... publicly. Some of y'all act like you love Kidwell more than Peter loved the Lord; its mind boggling.
Commented: Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 @ 9:17 pm
By: John Valley
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Kidwell disrespects local people at a personal level.
He obviously thinks that he is a KING, and we locals nothing... just useless people that he can simply brush aside, and not even willing to spend a few minutes of his time being our representative. I for one do not need a Representative like that in my life. Anybody at this point would be better than Kidwell. And as I said Darren Armstrong seems like a very GOOD MAN. JUST SAY NO TO KIDWELL !!
Commented: Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 @ 9:48 pm
By: Washingtonian
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If you like illegal immigration, you should love electing a big farmer like Armstrong. The reality is that exploitation of illegal alien labor is part of the business model of big farmers and they are NOT going to do anything that would end their access to that labor. They may talk and posture like they will, but the bottom line is that for them and their fellow big farmers, they want to keep the illegal aliens around.
Armstrong's recruiter, Jimmy Dixon is a good example. In the legislature, he skulks around in the backrooms doing whatever he can to sabotage any legislation that cracks down on illegal aliens. North Carolina does NOT need another Jimmy Dixon in the legislature, but that is what you would have with Armstrong. It would be interesting if we could get ICE to visit the farms of Armstrong and his key big farmer supporters. One wonders how many illegal aliens they would nab? Kidwell has always been a very dependable vote in favor of cracking down on illegal immigration and deserves our support. Maybe that is a big part of the reason these big farmers want him gone.
Commented: Thursday, January 8th, 2026 @ 8:30 am
By: borderhawk
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Asking people to support someone who hates them is asking a lot. The guy that hates me is not likely to be my choice to represent me. Furthermore, others can't decide what means something to me. My friends and my representatives that are under vicious attack do mean something to me. Nobody gets a free pass to do anything card. Nobody should. NO one person is that important.
I don't know what I'm going to do. I do know I'll not be bullied and coerced into anything. Those tactics do not inspire my loyalty or my trust.
Commented: Thursday, January 8th, 2026 @ 8:10 am
By: Van Zant
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Kidwell has been rock solid on taxing and spending issues. He has the highest conservative rating in the entire legislature. During Covid, he was the most active member of the legislature, by far, fighting for medical freedom. Local internal party fights mean at lot less than standing for principles in Raleigh when all is said and done. I regret he has gotten into some personality conflicts locally but it is principle and policy that really matter.
Armstrong's press release gives no clue about any philosophical compass. He mouths the word "conservative" but even liberals sometimes do that. Most of what he says is boilerplate that even a Democrat could put in a press release. The only real issue he mentions is 2nd amendment, but how much credibiliy does that have when he surrounds himself with people who have worked against gun rights? He must have thought he had to mention that since Kidwell is well known as the biggest champion of gun rights in the legislature. Action speaks louder than words, and the company Armstrong keeps on that issue does, too.
Commented: Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 @ 8:15 pm
By: Concerned Taxpayer
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The Kidwell situation is a shame. I gather from my conversations with local conservatives that any support Kidwell is losing is due to three things: 1) His domineering the local party and shutting people out. 2) His attacks on local conservative officeholders. 3) His perceived primary support in the local primaries. All of these things are his choices. If there are reactions to those choices, that's on him. You can't expect people to be dumped on and then ask them to support it.
I don't know much about Armstrong. I do know people are wanting to hear from him because Kidwell has alienated them.
Commented: Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 @ 7:00 pm
By: Van Zant
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Kidwell is Audi 5000 and he knows it; so does his small but dedicated fan club. His treatment of the public on his own "home" turf and the Robinson 2.0 Abortion (with NO exceptions for r@pe and/or incest) stunt he pulled last year did him in with those who hold the pocketbook. We won't go into his verbal sparring match with a group of guys who were boots on the ground at J6....that's another story.
If Armstrong gets in and screws up, he too will be in the same boat as Kidwell. As indicated in the article posted yesterday, both Democrats AND Republicans rely on the Unaffiliated vote to win the public poll; Kidwell doesn't appeal to those who know what time it is. I don't want him in Raleigh and I damn sure don't want him running the Beaufort County GOP in any position.
Commented: Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 @ 5:03 pm
By: John Valley
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Rolling over bad guys before they can become "Bidens" is not a bad idea. If Armstrong does not work out he will be easier to roll than Kidwell.
Commented: Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 @ 4:55 pm
By: Hood Richardson
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From what I am seeing, Berger, Dixon, and their boy Armstrong are the ones to say NO to. If you are a conservative they have nothing for you. Armstrong seems to be little more than a special interest guy, just like them.
Commented: Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 @ 3:32 pm
By: Rino Hunter
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Just Say No to Kidwell !!
If you are a local, he is not working for you!
Commented: Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 @ 2:30 pm
By: Washingtonian
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RALEIGH INSIDERS???? That is exactly who is trying to take over our legislative seat. RINO Raleigh insider Jimmy Dixon sought out a candidate in Beaufort County to challenge our conservative incumbent Kidwell. Dixon did so on behalf of another key RINO Raleigh insider, Phil Berger. Raleigh insider Dixon talked Armstrong into running, and appeared at his kickoff fundraiser. He brought with him another RINO Raleigh insider, Steve Troxler. Why are these Raleigh insiders monkeying around in OUR legislative race?
As to what impacts our lives, it is corrupt Raleigh RINOs like Berger and Dixon and their yes-men who are damaging our lives with their special interest hijinks like voting to allow biological men into womens restrooms and locker rooms, giving us the Green New Deal to raise our electric rates, giving us the Obamacare Medicaid expansion, trying to take away our fresh local shrimp with Shrimpgate, and lots of other bad things. They also stop good things like blocking key gun rights legislation, something both Dixon and Berger have their fingerprints on. Armstrong would just be another yes-man for those Raleigh insiders. Ever wonder why they recruit people who have never been involved in politics? They are much easier for the political bosses in Raleigh to control than somebody experienced in politics. It that sense, Armstrong is very typical of their usual recruits. That link is to an Armstrong press release written by his consultants and published verbatim. His statements are mostly pablum that any legislative candidate of either party could spew.
Commented: Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 @ 11:26 am
By: John Steed
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One thing we do NOT need as legislative candidates is big farmers and the reason is illegal immigration. Most of them exploit illegal aliens to work on their farms, and if by chance one doesn't, then his buddies all do. They are NOT going to be friendly to efforts to deport illegal aliens because they want to continue to exploit them. They may not want to admit to that, but they are soft on illegal immigration. That Jimmy Dixon is known to skulk around in the legislative backrooms to try to water down or sink any good immigration enforcement legislation. Any candidate he brings in will do the same regardless of what they may tell you.
Commented: Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 @ 10:28 am
By: borderhawk
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Can anyone here explain to all of us: Why there are so many RINOs here in Beaufort County, all of them playing their parts to force upward the amount of taxes we all pay, and, furthermore, why does the Beaufort county GOP support these RINOs and disparage the conscientious and wise Conservatives - like Stan and Hood - who work diligently to keep our taxes lowered, and make America ... America again?
Commented: Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 @ 10:07 am
By: Richard Marvin Butkus
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Here is another Phil Berger plant on our local ballot, and this one he recruited directly instead of through a surrogate. Berger despises conservative Senator Bobby Hanig who is running for Congress. Hanig played a key role in stopping Shrimpgate, the corrupt Berger sellout of our shrimpers. Berger wanted to throw a monkey wrench in Hanig's campaign, so he recruited Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck to jump in late in the game.
Berger also has a plant in the race for Hanig's senate seat, and his plant is again a big farmer never involved in politics before who was recruited for him by Jimmy Dixon. Local party leaders recruited conservative retired Superior Court Judge Jerry Tillet to run for that seat, but Berger knows he cannot control Tillet, so he wants his own flunky.
Commented: Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 @ 9:33 am
By: Conservative Voter
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Armstrong is not a politician. He said he had never run for office before. So he is sociable to all humans he comes across, unlike the big talkers here who perceive themselves as RALEIGH INSIDERS and who try to manipulate we local yokels, as if we were too dumb to know that our happy lives depend more on how we are treated by govt locally than in Raleigh.
Read the link: He said: "Armstrong also emphasized the importance of improving representation for the region in Raleigh. “I hope to build relationships and improve opportunities for District 79,” he said. He added that he has never run for office before, marking this as his first campaign for public office. JUST SAY NO TO KIDWELL!
Commented: Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 @ 8:39 am
By: Washingtonian
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