Chaotic Republican Party Executive Committee Meeting Ends After Police Called | Eastern NC Now

    The issues pertaining to the unilateral decision making of Chairwoman Garris and her hypocrisy regarding party finances, expenditures, public announcements/messaging and deciding who may or may not participate are not new. There is certainly a double standard in how rules are applied based upon whether or not someone is considered an ally or adversary of Garris. Garris has a track record dating back as far as when she first became Executive Committee Chair reflecting this. She unilaterally called for the resignation and removal from the committee of County Commissioner Tandy Dunn over party disloyalty allegations in 2022. This decision was overturned by the NCGOP Arbitration Committee when Commissioner Dunn appealed Garris' decision. Garris also unilaterally called for School Board member Stacey Davis to resign in the fall of 2025 without involving or receiving authorization from the Executive Committee. Garris did not call for the resignation of Jody Forrest from the Executive Committee when Forrest campaigned against Stacey Davis in favor of Mack Hodges, the Democrat candidate in the 2024 election. These acts of party disloyalty took place at the Republican party headquarters and at the polls. Forrest even told Davis's father to vote for Hodges when he visited the party headquarters. Garris has not called for the resignation or censure of Commissioners Frankie Waters or Randy Walker on the grounds of party disloyalty for voting in favor of a Democrat over a Republican to be Vice Chair of the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners for at least the previous two years on a 5 to 2 Republican controlled board. This double standard raises ethical questions as Forrest is a close friend of Garris and Waters and Walker, both nominal Republicans, are allies that support Garris's decisions and actions. In contrast, Davis and Dunn are conservative Republicans who have opposed Garris on issues.

• Commissioner Stan Deatherage remarked, "Last night's Beaufort County GOP meeting was little more than an exposition in incredible hypocrisy, with Center-Left /Left Coalition (those who swap votes to share power on the Beaufort County Commission) member, Commissioner Randy Walker in attendance, and thus making comment to offer himself as the best example of great political irony, in the guise of hypocrisy, an act so abundantly manifested by the Party Chairman, Carolyn Garris, on the pressing issue at hand: The Chairman's unilateral action of removing three Conservatives from the GOP Executive body for so-called 'Party Disloyalty;' an action that deserved full redress by the entire Executive Committee, not this Chairman's unilateral action.
• Chairman Garris has often born witness to an inarguable truth, fittingly espoused by Executive Committee Member Dave Hudson: 'The Beaufort County GOP has long condoned real and incontrovertible Party Disloyalty; most recently by Nominal 'Republican' Commissioner Randy Walker, who recently supported and voted for a Democratic Socialist over a Conservative Republican to ascend to a leadership position on the board of county commissioners, was blatant Party Disloyalty.' This act occurred at the December, 2025 General Meeting for the Beaufort County Commissioners.
• Commissioner Walker immediately retorted, 'I did NOT vote against a Republican; I voted against Hood Richardson.'
• To wit, Dave Hudson corrected Mr. Walker, 'You actually voted against Republican Commissioner Tandy Dunn, not Hood,' an act of perfect Party Disloyalty that Chairman Garris was present to witness, and never mentioned as the real Party Disloyalty that it is.
• As a 7 term member of the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners, I have witnessed Commissioner Walker exhibit this example of egregious Party Disloyalty multiple times: Voting here recently 'against' Tandy, then against Commissioner Hood Richardson, and even against yours truly, Commissioner Stan Deatherage, Conservatives all, in favor of the Democratic Socialist for the aforementioned leadership position.

    The unilateral decision to remove Executive Committee 2nd Vice Chair Janet Knight, former Washington City Council candidate Sheri Clark and Commissioner Hood Richardson from the Executive Committee for reasons of party disloyalty is another example of overreach and hypocrisy by Garris. Her justification for the removal of these individuals was that they supported an unaffiliated candidate, Joe Davis, in the Washington municipal election. This again brings up questions regarding the party's involvement in a nonpartisan election. It is further troubling as Executive Committee member Gary Ceres and Garris herself both promoted unaffiliated candidate Ellen Brabo for mayor on their personal Facebook pages. This appears to be a double standard as she did not call for Ceres's removal from the committee or resigned herself. Her argument is that there is no disloyalty as Brabo didn't have a Republican opponent. This doesn't carry much credibility considering again, the municipal elections are nonpartisan, and the committee never voted to become involved in a municipal election. Garris has never felt there are any limits to her own authority as chair and Ceres is an ally. In contrast, Richardson, Knight and Clark are conservative Republicans who have opposed Garris on issues.

Garris's Facebook post supporting Ellen Brabo for Mayor: Above.    Kidwell and Garris Facebook correspondence about Washington Municipal election: Below.


    Ethical questions regarding Garris' leadership as chair exist in other areas. Garris willingly took money BEFORE the Primary Election from Senator Jim Perry who knew his offering money to the BCGOP would be "the in" into the organization before the Primary. The money should not have been accepted or should have been given back. Perry was ingratiated into the BCGOP and sent invites to attend events to demonstrate gratitude for his money and more where that came from "if he won the Primary". Jody Forrest claimed that she charmed the Senator and maintained close contact with him before the Primary. A picture of Chairwoman Garris and Perry were hung on the party headquarters wall BEFORE the primary which was highly inappropriate. This was done months before the primary, when candidates were still in the filing period. According to the NCGOP Plan of Organization, this is forbidden and unethical.