(commented on August 2nd, 2026 @ 2:02 pm)Van Zant: Of course, these are my sentiments exactly.
People of Beaufort County: Until the Beaufort County GOP turns itself around and toward the light of transparency, you would be wise to be distrustful of their ambitions.
Also, The FB post still exists; however, there are "hard copies" of the Statement.
Here is mine below:
"STATEMENT FROM CHAIRMAN CAROLYN GARRIS OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY:
The Beaufort County Republican Party exists for one purpose -- that is to get Republicans elected.
I was very disappointed to read the latest Facebook comments by non-Republican Washington City Councilman Joe Davis where he blames the Beaufort County GOP Victory Committee for the City of Washington's current leadership crisis. Davis seems to feel the Republican Party is to blame because the sole GOP member of the council is young and a relative newcomer to politics, while harping that Republican strategy cost seats in last November's election.
That is asinine. So is Joe Davis.
Joe Davis voted against a tax cut he promised the voters. Now he wants former mayor Donald Sadler, defeated in the last election by the will of the voters, to fill the vacant city council seat after attacking his policies during the campaign. When the just fired city manager threatened to hold Davis accountable for violating city ordinances with his questionable business practices it was clear the man's tenure would be short-lived.
So how did all of this happen?
Last November’s City of Washington municipal races were decisive and I feel it is important for the people of Washington, and Beaufort County, to know the difference between the actual party and a group who calls themselves the Beaufort County Republican Conservative Club. The Beaufort County Republican Party has very strict rules which require us to support Republican candidates at all levels of office, which also includes “non-partisan” races. The Club which is run by Hood Richardson and supported by Stan Deatherage, and his publication Beaufort County Now and its sister the beaufortobserver.net, do not adhere to the same rules as required of the county party. Historically the club and those publications have supported many non-Republican candidates over the years and recruits these candidates via signs posted along the public road with no vetting other than one simply calling them up.
The party recruited and supported five Republicans for City Council. We worked hard to support each and every candidate and did so in a manner to promote true Republican and Conservative causes. The paid campaign materials approved by the Victory Committee such as radio ads and mailers promoted all five Republicans running for city council evenly and fairly. We were aware of the political reality that getting all five seats was nearly impossible however every one of our candidates was supported just as hard as the ones who were elected. And we have no regrets for doing just that.
Here is where the confusion lies. Hood and Stan’s PAC Club and online political publications acts as a defacto propaganda arm of this group that heavily supported and promoted then Candidate Joe Davis and viciously attacked one of the Republican candidates. There was much confusion in the community due to citizens not understanding the difference between the actual party itself and the Political Action Committee club and these named political propaganda sites run by Richardson and Deatherage. Richardson and Deatherage have worked hand in hand on the county commission for decades while their PAC/publications combination often serves to obfuscate the true facts.
Foremost, the party could not promote nor endorse Davis because he is not a member of the Republican Party. Secondly many rank and file Republicans had severe concerns regarding Davis and his very disturbing behavior at the Board of Elections once early voting began.
To say that Davis’ tenure on the City Council has been problematic and heavily scrutinized by the community would be an understatement. I have had many people reach out to me and members of our team with multiple concerns about the questionable behavior of Davis as an elected official.
To be crystal clear once more: Joe Davis is not a Republican but is a registered Unaffiliated candidate recruited by the club and supported by Richardson and Deatherage. The Beaufort County Republican Party in no way supported nor endorsed Davis.
The actions and behavior of Davis as an elected official have indeed drawn criticism and rightfully so. His candidacy and election was not due to the Republican Party but rests solely with Hood Richardson and Stan Deatherage and they should be examined for their intentions and motives in supporting this non-Republican in such a vital race. Joe Davis is not the type of individual a true conservative Republican would support; his attacks on the minority community and those of other religious beliefs are beyond the pale and should be called out by the citizenry.
The bottom line is the taxpayers here in Beaufort County are being burned at the stake with massive tax increases causing even more hardship to our fellow citizens while so-called political leadership plays vendetta games. Now Joe Davis is making noise about bringing the defeated Democratic Party mayor back into city government while a few political insiders, a couple who have been in elected office for decades, continue to govern with the tired political shell game that has gotten us where we are today.
Joe Davis is not a Republican. Hood and Stan’s club nor publications are not part of the Republican Party.
So why are they in such an awful hurry to replace an outgoing Republican council member with a defeated Democrat?
Surely there aren’t more land deals going around?"
Stan Deatherage
Carolyn Garris, as chairman of the Beaufort County GOP, you should know better than to promote what is not true, especially against a Real Republican such as myself, who is running for office.
You should resign immediately.
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Stan Deatherage
(commented on August 2nd, 2026 @ 9:42 am)
Stan Deatherage
