Daniel to seek GOP chair

In that same release, Frank B. Stoltmann will be looking to be Vice Chairman, while Ronald (Ronnie) E. Jeffreys is seeking to run for party Secretary.

In accordance to the Person GOP’s Plan of Organization, all three were nominated by email on Feb. 13, two days before the deadline for nominations.

The county’s GOP convention is scheduled for Saturday, March 4 from 9-11 a.m. at Roxboro City Hall. 

According to a press release sent to The Courier-Times from the Person County Republican Party and information taken from the organization’s website, the convention is open to registered Republicans and pre-registration is required for attendance. There’s a $10 registration fee, with the deadline for pre-registration set for Feb. 25. Registration can be done at person.nc.gop.

In bold, capitalized, red letters on the GOP’s website, “there will be no registrations at the door on the day of the event.”

According to the Person County GOP’s Plan of Organization, nominations for the party’s executive committee -— Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer -— must be done ahead of time, with the deadline being this past Tuesday.

‘Needing to be change’

Daniel is a newcomer, in a sense, to Person County politics.

He’s a native of West Virginia, but with deep roots in Person County, so much so that when he moved here in 2017, Daniel said that his family told him that “he moved home”.

Daniel is an Army veteran and currently works in the medical field in Durham doing data and computer work. According to Daniel, he devotes a great deal of his time volunteering with the Masons and is also an accomplished saxophone player - — including performing in the Red Stocking Revue.

Before moving to Person County, Daniel lived in Orange County and ran unsuccessfully as a Republican candidate for county commissioner in 2006.

He said that when he moved here, his introduction to the local party was not a pleasant one.

“I was not met with open arms and that was just weird,” Daniel said. “This is supposed to be a Republican stronghold. I just escaped Orange County. You hear young people say how they can’t wait to move away, but I moved here. I love this place. A lot of people don’t realize how they great they have it here. It’s OK to want more and better, but you have to appreciate what you have. When you have a rotten apple in a tree, you need to figure out what causing it. I’ve tried to be a part of the Republican Party several times in the past five years but was always met by being ignored or by vitriol. I don’t go where I’m not wanted and that’s a shame.”

Daniel said that he, Stoltmann and Jeffreys decided it was time to run for party leadership following the 2022 elections. During that election, current Person County GOP chair Chris Weaver indicated multiple times on the popular Facebook group Person County Local, where he serves as an admin, that Republican candidates for Person County Commissioner, P.J. Gentry and Liz Bradsher, along with sheriff candidate Harold Ray (Bug) Long, were the only ones seeking office who were in “good standing” with the local party. Those three chose to attend party-sponsored events during the campaign season, including the 2022 Person GOP Convention and Candidate Forum, while their opponents did not. Gentry indicated to The Courier-Times this week that she also intends to seek the Person County GOP’s chair.

All three lost their primaries to Republican candidates who went on to win in last November’s general election.

“We (Daniel, Stoltmann and Jeffreys) and certainly others like us have be disenchanted with the Republican party in Person County for a while,” Daniel said. “Normally, people are brought in, but a lot of people have been alienated. We saw in the last election that the people who were supported by the party, lost and the (Republican candidates) who shun the party and still ran as Republicans, won. If that’s not an endorsement of there needing to be change, I don’t know what is.”

Daniel expressed his concern that the current leadership of the party doesn’t have a vision for growing the party, including attempting to limit attendance at the convention by not allowing same-day registration.

“The Republican Party doesn’t have to be a country club where you show up, pay your dues and kiss someone’s ring to belong to it,” Daniel said. “This is your party if you’re a registered Republican and you need to have your say. You can’t just lock the door and say, ‘sorry, no more allowed.’ I don’t understand why they do that, but do I think the current leadership wants to expand? Yes – their power and their influence. The three of us on that ticket are looking to build a party that’s going to grow past us. We want there to be people 18-25 (years old) involved. We want to take them away from (Person County Democratic chair) Anderson Clayton. We want to show them that there’s a better way, a better process here.”

Local elected officials speak up

The upcoming Person County GOP convention has been a hot topic on social media for the past several weeks. 

Former Roxboro City Council member Benji Gault urged his Facebook friends in a public post to be sure their political affiliation was Republican by Jan. 31 so they could attend the GOP convention and vote for new leadership.

As of Wednesday morning, that post was shared 24 times, including by Person County Commissioners Derrick Sims and Kyle Puryear, as well as newly-elected sheriff Jason (Skeet) Wilborn.

The Courier-Times reached out to the five Person County Commissioners and Wilborn for their thoughts about the future of the local GOP.

Puryear initially shared Gault’s post along with the comment, “time for a change in the local GOP leadership.”

“It is essential to hold our local Republican Party leadership accountable for their actions, especially around the Chairmanship position, to prevent what took place during last year’s election.” Puryear said to The Courier-Times Wednesday. “There needs to be change in leadership to unify our local conservatives, not divide through petty social media comments under fake profiles. The local GOP needs new faces in these leadership positions, to be inclusive to all conservatives, not just a few. As a ‘Republican in Good Standing’ with the residents of Person County, those are just a few of my thoughts. I encourage all registered Republicans to take part in the upcoming county convention, and cast their vote for new PCGOP leadership.”

Sims told The Courier-Times Wednesday morning that “I think it is time for a change in the Person County GOP leadership.” He also indicated that he has not talked with Daniel, Jeffreys or Stoltmann about the GOP positions and just found out about their possible candidacy on Tuesday.

Puryear and Wilborn, along with first-term county commissioner Jason Thomas, won their seats in the 2022 election despite not having the support of the local GOP and running against candidates in the primary who were considered “in good standing” with the party.

Wilborn mentioned to The Courier-Times the great responsibility the local GOP chair has, especially with all five commissioners being Republicans. If any of the five are unable to fulfill their term, the local GOP would be responsible for selecting a replacement.

“I know everyone is busy and most people don’t like to engage in politics, but I encourage everyone to pay attention to the process and participate in choosing good leadership that truly reflects the character of the Person County Republican party,” Wilborn said.

Thomas calls on the next chair to approach the position in a respectful manner.

“Answering the call of leadership comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility,” Thomas said. “Being the chair of the local party should require respect and dignity. I wish each nominee the best of luck and remind them to approach the next two years with conviction and challenge them to do what’s best for the local party in totality and represent local Republicans in a positive manner.”

Commissioner chair Gordon Powell said that he is “encouraged that some local citizens want to be involved in local politics and serve the community.”

The Courier-Times reached out to Weaver by text and he has not responded as of press time.