Earthquake in Transylvania County

Transylvania County in red

Awoke to news posted on the Transylvania Times that three Republican county commissioners in Transylvania County have left the Republican Party en masse and changed their voter registrations to "unaffiliated." Two of those commissioners, Mike Hawkins and Page Lemel, are currently up for reelection in 2020. If they choose to run again (according to Derek McKissock), they'll have to get onto the ballot via petition. Mike Hawkins is currently the chair of the board. Commissioner David Guice, the third member who announced he was leaving the Republican Party, is vice chair but is not up for reelection in 2020.

The statement the three issued is open to interpretation but pregnant with implications about the current leadership of the Republican Party, from DeeCee to Raleigh. Just an excerpt:

...Naturally, citizens may be curious about our choice to disassociate from the Republican Party. Our reasoning falls along three broad areas.

First, we have clear notions of conservatism. To be conservative is to honor and preserve the fundamental institutions, processes, structures and rule of law, which have enabled the United States to be history’s greatest success story. To be conservative is to be financially prudent while also investing in common groundworks that support individual success for all citizens. To be conservative is to be welcoming and inclusive, understanding that all of us share the same human aspirations; conservative tenets of self-determination cannot be exclusive. To be conservative is to have a strong moral compass and the willingness to challenge wrong regardless of its source. We believe all of these are not merely conservative principles but American principles.

Next, we believe elected officials have a special duty to conduct themselves beyond reproach and make genuine efforts to represent all their constituents. Elected officials must strive to conduct all public and private actions with honor and integrity. Elected officials must value objective truth and, in turn, be truthful in their own statements and interactions. And elected officials must continually work to hear the voices of all while making hard decisions on behalf of their fellow citizens....