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I've personally heard and have received numerous reports from others that Frankie Waters has vetted and is backing Edwards. He (Waters) is and has been telling people this for quite a while now. John Edwards having Waters, as well as Carolyn and Randy Stephens (Walker), in his corner is the kiss of death for me in this race. All of these liberals play acting like conservatives are a bridge way, way too far for me.

Commented: Monday, September 14th, 2026 @ 6:15 am By: Van Zant

Stan, I remember the time that Frankie Waters boasted about raising taxes at a candidate forum at the Community College. If memory serves, you used the audio of that in one of your campaign ads. If Waters has vetted and is backing Edwards, Lord help us!

Commented: Sunday, September 13th, 2026 @ 8:43 pm By: Concerned Taxpayer

I have a lot more respect for an honest liberal Democrat who tells you what he is than an opportunist Republican who lies to you, like Walker and Waters have consistently done. Waters and Walker are longtime Democrats now masquerading as "Republicans."

The fact of similar colors on campaign signs may be a coincidence, but blue is usually thought of as a Democrat color and it is very curious that Edwards would adopt it. Is he just that clueless, or is it a deliberate signal? Regardless, Edwards seems to be the closest on policy to Booth on the ballot this year.

VZ, I am concerned with reports that Frnakie Waters, who is as phony as a three dollar bill, "vetted" and approved and is supporting Edwards. That should be the kiss of death for conservative voters on Edwards. Edwards also seems to have the support of another pair of liberal "Republicans", Randy and Carolyn Walker. Randy Walker, like Waters, votes with the Democrats on the county commission.

Commented: Sunday, September 13th, 2026 @ 7:51 pm By: Conservative Voter

To Ed Booth's credit he is not the fraud. He is what he is, a liberal Democrat.

Frank Waters claims to be a Republican these days. He has spent most of his life, until recently, as a Democrat. He votes with the Democrats on the County Commission. He continues to write checks to Democrats. When he first ran, he claimed to be with the no new jail people and sought their endorsement. He said, if you "...like Rush Limbaugh you will love Frankie Waters." He even said, "If you like Hood, you will love Frankie Waters." He said he would not increase taxes before he was elected. None of that turned out to be true. None of it.

Frank Waters is telling everyone he can that he is behind John Edwards. It stands to reason that Edwards will not be taxpayer friendly either.

People that will not learn from experience are destined to repeat the same mistakes.

Commented: Sunday, September 13th, 2026 @ 6:26 pm By: Van Zant

Washingtonian: I agree on AI watching over the governmental process.

AI should keep lying to a minimum, and alert us to whom is greatest of all liars, but first AI must be infused with the coded component of what comprises the absolute truth, otherwise the best liars will some somehow figure a way to fool the machine.

Commented: Sunday, September 13th, 2026 @ 3:12 pm By: Stan Deatherage

What AI will do... is see through the hoax be perpetrated on the American people by our failing govts. (I say failing because it is unresponsive to the people. It lives to serve itself.)
AI will expose that hoax against the citizens and cause a reform of all parts of govt. That is what the ruling class fear. That is why AI scares them. The people are being abused by every part of govt, and AI will see that immediately. A.I's first reaction will be against big incompetent govt at all levels, NOT against the citizens.

By the way, the first rule of the Govt's ruling class is: "If it's not documented, it doesnt exist."

p.s. The city and the county are both having their regular monthly meeting next week. Pay attention. Joe Davis has 6 resolutions.

Commented: Sunday, September 13th, 2026 @ 1:34 pm By: Washingtonian

Van Zant: Thank-you for your wisdom and your support.

I won't project a long winded dissertation on what it take to be a competent and good county commissioner, but I will state emphatically, "it ain't rocket science;" however, with one caveat: To be a competent and good county commissioner one must possess the dual essential components of the knowledge of many life experiences, and the integral honesty of good character.

After one is secure in that essential premise, it becomes remarkably simple.

Commented: Sunday, September 13th, 2026 @ 12:14 pm By: Stan Deatherage

SD: I was just stating some s*** I've heard while out and about, I didn't state that it was my personal opinion. I've grown up a lot since 2020 and don't drink anybody's Kool Aid....as I trust very few people and question everything.

Data Centers, of any kind, are no good for local economy and infrastructure...period.

Commented: Saturday, September 12th, 2026 @ 3:02 pm By: John Valley

The Beaufort County Republican Party has stood solidly behind every fake Republican while attacking conservative Republicans. The way to fix this is to start with a house cleaning of the Beaufort County Republican Party. Look at the action of people not what they say.

Commented: Sunday, September 13th, 2026 @ 9:36 am By: Hood Richardson

Here is another one of those "5th columnist" fake "Republicans" we need to remember for the 2028 primary, RINO Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. He will have primary opposition from a conservative farmer who is a REAL Republican.

In 1998, conservative Republican US Senator Lauch Faircloth, a farmer himself, was running for reelection to the senate. He was being challenged by a fancy pants liberal Democrat Raleigh lawyer named John Edwards. Steve Troxler jumped into that race to serve as chairman of "Farmers for Edwards" . Troxler worked hard to defeat a conservative farmer and replace him with a liberal Democrat lawyer and to try to get other farmers to go along with him. In that race, Troxler worked closely with Edwards campaign manager Josh Stein, now NC.s leftwing Democrat governor.

As Commissioner of Agriculture, Troxler has been anything but conservative. He is very weak on illegal immigration. He also is very weak on 2nd Amendment gun rights. Indeed in his last campaign< NC's leading gun rights organization endorsed the Libertarian in that race because both Troxler and the Democrat were awful on gun issues.

Commented: Saturday, September 12th, 2026 @ 3:57 pm By: Conservative Voter

Yes, lets look at the origins of these "Republicans" who function as Democrats once in office.

Frankie Waters was a political unknown when he first filed for office, apparently out of his own personal ambition. Only later was it learned that he had been a Democrat all his life until a few months before filing as an instant "Republican" or that he and his wife were still making Democrat political contributions even after he was running as a "Republican." The big issue that election year was fighting against the expensive and unnecessary big new jail that was proposed. Waters told the Stop the Jail Committee that he was against the jail and got their endorsement, helping him win conservative votes. Later it turned out he was not being truthful about his position on the jail.

Longtime Democrat Randy Walker ran for county commissioner as a Democrat and lost, but decided to try to rebrand himself as a "Republican" and try again. In his primary, he spouted all the right words about taxes and spending. He managed to convince Hood;s Conservative Club to buy his yard signs for him. He hired Ashley Woolard as his consultant for social media and had Woolard run a "no new taxes" social media ad campaign in the primary. As soon as the primary was over, he directed Woolard to take down the "no new taxes" online campaign. It had got him past the primary. He did not want to talk about taxes any more. Walker also stiffed Woolard on Woolard's fee AND the money Woolard had advanced to Facebook to "boost" Walker's ad campaign.

I have the very same concerns about having a major political contributor to liberal Democrat Marc Basnight as our "Republican" NC House nominee.

Waters and Walker pulled the wool over the eyes of a lot of people to get elected. It is a cautionary tale about supporting people who suddenly come out of the woodwork for political office.

Commented: Saturday, September 12th, 2026 @ 10:10 am By: John Steed