Republican Sen. Chris Measmer's Hefty Baggage

My last two entries (below) were prompted by the contents of a letter Sen. Amy Galey of Alamance County, a Majority Republican Whip in the NC Senate, wrote to Sheriff Sam Page, begging him not to run a primary against Phil Berger, because it would endanger the reelection of three sitting Republican senators. Sen. Lisa Stone Barnes was No. 1. Sen. Michael Lee of New Hanover was No. 2. Chris Measmer is third and last of this series (which has been both passing strange and highly interesting to research).

A Democrat -- April Cook -- is registered to run to replace Chris Measmer in the NC Senate (Dist. 34), but she's probably the least of his troubles going into 2026, because 1st-term Senator Measmer has his own primary, and he's dragging a lot of bad juju.

The vibe Chris Measmer gives off is pure trumpist -- bullying, ignoring the rules, corrupt and self-serving. He says on his website that his family has been in Cabarrus since 1810 and that he's the proud second-generation owner of a very venerable family business (also a very active member and lobbyist for the National Federation of Independent Business), but nowhere can I discover what business.

Measmer was only just appointed to the Senate in April 2025 to fill out the term of Paul Newton. There was a big cloud over Measmer's appointment. The retiring Sen. Newton, who was decamping to an administrative role at UNC, signaled to the Cabarrus Co. Republican executive committee his preference for his replacement, a woman (probably Harrisburg Mayor Jennifer Teague), but after what was apparently a very contentious four-hour interview with some seven total office-seekers -- who all thought they'd make splendid and useful state senators -- the exec comm defied Paul Newton and chose Chris Measmer, the chair of the Cabarrus Co Commish who had already exhibited a wheeling-and-dealing streak that put him in a harsh spotlight.

As the new chair of the CoCommish, Measmer took a trumpist axe to experienced county employees who he perceived to be in his way. He terminated both the county manager and the county attorney, enabled by a slim majority of two other Republicans (one of which is Larry Pittman, formerly of NC House fame). Measmer wanted Sean Newton of Charlotte as the new manager. Newton (no kin of the retiring Sen Newton) had never worked in local government and had a thin resume, but Measmer made sure he got the job. Only then did it become known that Newton -- and by extension Measmer -- had concealed a major conflict of interest. Measmer and Newton had partnered in a new "food manufacturing" business that registered with the Secretary of State and then dissolved a couple of years later, an apparent dream that died.

Measmer's chief antagonist on the CoCommish, Kenny Wortman, raised holy hell in March 2025 over what Measmer had done, moved to rescind the appointment of the new manager (a vote which failed 3-2), and then made a principled statement about how once conservative Republicans viewed public integrity: “The way this looks now is horrific. It looks like the headline is going to be ‘the county fires a 63-year-old man with 38 years of experience and replaces him with somebody under 40 because he’s your friend and former partner.’ ” Measmer got his way for county manager, then quickly bulled his way through the political jawboning to replace Paul Newton in the Senate, and even then he wasn't through abusing power: He engineered and participated in the quickie vote on the co commish for his own replacement, "the most extreme replacement possible," according to the NCDP, a flagrant abuse of power that was soon overturned in court.

Measmer's Primary Opponent

Kevin Crutchfield

Kevin Crutchfield was one of the other seven contenders who wanted the appointment to Paul Newton's seat, so he may well have a longstanding grudge against Measmer the incumbent. Crutchfield had succeeded Larry Pittman in a Cabarrus Co house seat in 2022, and then got ousted in 2024’s GOP primary by slick operator Brian Echevarria, about whom I spilled some digital ink in Feb. 2024. WBTV reported in December that Crutchfield later sought a job in Gov. Josh Stein’s administration.

Echevarria only beat Crutchfield by 167 votes, and Crutchfield is pretty well embedded in the Cabarrus business community. He lists (unlike Mr. Measmer) all his business interests on his website. He is president and CEO of The Crutchfield Group Ltd.,  a residential building and equipment leasing operation, and president and CFO of Casco Signs Inc. with some 45 employees.

There's every reason to think Crutchfield could make his comeback against such a tarnished incumbent as Measmer. Whoever wins this primary will be up against...

April Cook, Democrat

Dave's Redistricting offers discouraging numbers for NC Senate 34: 54.2% Republican v. 43.6% Democrat. But the Civitas Partisan Index ranks it only R+2, "Lean Republican," and in a blue wave ... well, you do the math. Plus, if Chris Measmer wins his primary, and even if he doesn't, the Republican brand seems somewhat tarnished in Cabarrus County.

April Cook has 20 years of experience and a base in the world of charitable health care and community clinics. She was the co-founder with her husband Dr. David Cook of the Lake Norman Community Health Clinic (now owned by Atrium Health and Novant Health and renamed the Cook Community Clinic in honor of April and David). Dr. David Cook remains the medical director but April has moved on to the Board of the NC Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NCAFCC), a network of 65 free and charitable clinics providing free healthcare to uninsured patients. April's is eleemosynary work of the highest order.

In other words, she could be a contender if she has the volunteers and the backing to put boots on the ground and get her name and her dedicated work known. In a time when Trump's Big Beautiful Bill is decimating healthcare for the poorest of citizens, April Cook would seem to have the juice to draw a distinction between herself and what the policies of the Republican Party have wrought.