Queen Garris Performs Again | Eastern NC Now

Queen Garris Performs Again

BY: HOOD RICHARDSON

The Beaufort County GOP website advertises that the Republican Executive Committee is scheduled to meet on the second Thursday of every month. The Queen does not have a meeting some months. Nominally Queen Carolyn Garris is supposed to give ten days’ notice to cancel a meeting or to call a special meeting. However, she always waits until three or four days before the meeting to cancel or to confirm there will be a meeting. Queen Garris does not notify ex-officio, precinct chairmen or the public of meetings. This reinforces her dictatorial control of the business of the Republican Party in Beaufort County.

Candidate and incumbent Sheriff Scott Hammonds gave a campaign report on activities in his office. Garris told him, before he began speaking, that he had a set amount of time, that she was in a hurry and she had other things she needed to be doing. It is embarrassing to have a so-called leader who lacks any of the skills of diplomacy to conduct a meeting and show even a grain of respect for a sitting Sheriff. Toward the end of Hammonds’ presentation Queen Carolyn Garris reminded Hammonds that he had used up all of his time and even went across the room to get in front of him to shut him down.

Another example of her lack of manners and respect for members of the Executive Committee and Republican guests has been to announce as soon as the meeting is adjourned to please promptly leave so the room could be locked and she and on occasion Gail Breed, Scarlet Stokes and some of her other buddies could go home. I have never been to a political meeting that there was not visiting and conversation among the participants that could last as long as an hour after the meeting. This disrespectful attitude and behavior of Queen Carolyn Garris has gone on for about four years. The oversight duties of the Executive Committee are a nuisance to her.

Jerauld Pafford, candidate for Superior Court Judge, made a presentation about his campaign. He got the same rude treatment as the Sheriff. Hurry up, hurry up and get out of here was the message.

Buzz Cayton made a special request to report on his work with precinct chairmen. He is working to assist precinct chairmen and to get them more involved in Republican Party activities. He was warned by Queen Carolyn Garris that he had to hurry up.

A report was given by Steve Rader and Ashley Woolard about activities of the secret Victory Committee. I believe this report was given to legitimize the activities of this secret committee. The committee had a meeting recently. Woolard and Rader were careful to only talk about campaign strategy without being specific about anything. They were allowed to take as much time as they wanted with no admonishments to hurry up.

The Victory Committee is carrying a lot of baggage. For one thing Ashley Woolard is a candidate for county commissioner. As a candidate he is not supposed to be on the Executive Committee, much less a secret committee that makes secret decisions about campaign strategy and then buys advertising time without the approval of the Executive Committee. Ashley Woolard repeatedly stated that if there were to be any discussion about commissioner candidates that he would leave the room. His understanding of ethics is such that he believes this excuses his conflict of interest.

At the end of their patronizing discussion, assisted by Greg Dority, it was announced that they could not have a decision-making meeting until Representative Keith Kidwell returned from his vacation. It is still a secret committee, making secret decisions, without requesting approval of funding from the Executive Committee. Look at their behavior not what they say.

There was no quorum present. Therefore, business could not be conducted. Queen Carolyn Garris managed to shut the meeting down without following the agenda. Elected officials were not allowed to speak. Old business was not addressed. As usual there was not a place on the written agenda for new business.

Nothing has changed in the dictatorial way the Beaufort County Republican Party is being run. Queen Carolyn Garris and her cronies are still in charge. Disrespect for conservative Republicans and those who understand the Republican Party is not a dictatorship oozes from Queen Garris.

Queen Carolyn Garris has announced to several people that she will not seek the Republican Chairman’s job at the county convention in March of 2027. One must take this with a grain of salt. Many politicians use this as a ploy to stay under cover while they campaign in the background.