The Tea Party and NC Senate candidate Randy Ramsey | Eastern North Carolina Now

   In the March 25 edition of the Carteret News Times, a letter to the editor was signed by the co-founder of the Morehead Tea Party Patriots. While this is true, this individual has not been actively involved with the same group which later evolved into the Crystal Coast Tea Party Patriots, and he does not represent the views of many of those who come to our meetings on this issue. It was inappropriate for this individual to give the impression that he was speaking on behalf of our group, and as he admitted, he knows little of any of the candidates running for the NC Senate seat currently held by Senator Jean Preston. The Crystal Coast Tea Party Patriots, on the other hand, has vetted Mr. Randy Ramsey based on his publicly available record and found his party affiliation questionable. Lifelong voter registration does not automatically cancel out long standing political action.

    It appears that the writer had more of an issue with NC House Rep Norman Sanderson since there was no mention at all of Mr. Ken Jones, Mayor of Pine Knoll Shores, who is also contesting for this senate seat. Ken Jones and Norman Sanderson are both fine conservative candidates and their party affiliation has never come into question. I, personally, would be happy to see either of these two fine men win the NC Senate District 2 seat; but, let the voters decide.

    There has been a continuous onslaught of letters to the editor in Carteret County from Republican Party and Tea Party members regarding Mr. Randy Ramsey's run in the May 8th Republican Primary Election for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Jean Preston. As mentioned, he is being contested by another Carteret County candidate, Mr. Ken Jones, current Mayor of Pine Knoll Shores, and by NC House Representative Norman Sanderson of Pamlico County. While Norman Sanderson's and Ken Jones' credentials as Republicans are unblemished, Randy Ramsey doesn't pass muster so easily.

    Norman Sanderson's campaign advertisements bring up the uncontested fact that Mr. Ramsey donated heavily to the Democrat Party and its candidates. A little internet research revealed that Mr. Ramsey donated less than a nickel to Republicans for every 70 cents he donated to Democrats, which by the way, exceeded $37,000. This history trails well back into the last century. This undisputed fact possibly calls into question Mr. Ramsey's integrity in the eyes of the voters. Why would someone declare to be a lifelong Republican and yet send their money to the other political party? It seems two-faced to this voter.

    Tea Party member's interest in this matter relates to voter education. The candidates who best support the three Tea Party principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility and protection of the free market are the candidates most likely to receive votes from our members. If a candidate starts out with a confusing stance on their political ideology then confidence in his or her overall message is undermined.

    The Crystal Coast Tea Party broke the news on this issue on the first date for candidate filing in February. A small group of members demonstrated in front of the Board of Elections in Carteret County raising the issue that Randy Ramsey may be presenting himself to be something he was not. It was hoped that Mr. Ramsey would show up and confront our small group with an explanation of his long-time support for the opposing party. But we were told he waited until we left before he would make his appearance before the Board of Elections.

    Voters are sick and tired of elected officials who campaign on promises which are later broken, and they are sick and tired of candidates who claim to be of a particular political persuasion when they are not. So, while the Tea Party would rather have stayed out of the Primary Election campaigns and let the candidates slug it out, we, in the Crystal Coast Tea Party, felt it in the best interest of the voters to make them aware of the facts. It is not "Ramsey Bashing". It is simply reporting the facts. We, the voters, we, the people, will not be fooled again.