Wayne County Republicans elect new
officers, seek new direction
By
Matthew
Whittle
Published in News on March 15, 2009 2:00 AM
In a vote that one candidate said would determine the
course of the Wayne County Republican Party for the next
several years, delegates met Saturday morning at the
Wayne Center to select a new slate of officers.
In the only two contested races, Carroll Turner was
elected chairman and John R. Bell IV was elected first
vice chairman.
They were running against incumbent chairman Mark
Corbett and Willie Ray Starling, respectively.
Both men ran on a platform of re-invigorating the
party.
"I believe our Republican Party needs a new
direction," Turner said. "This past election we didn't
do that well and we didn't provide the support I think
we needed for some of our local candidates.
"We need a new beginning. We need more Republicans
and we need new Republicans."
And that's a goal shared by Bell, who promised to
restart the Young Republicans group in an effort to work
to bring more young people into the party's fold.
"It's time for the younger generation to step up and
get involved, and I am that younger generation," Bell
said. "We have a lot of young, conservative people out
there."
He also said that the party needs to be more active
in the community and work to make itself more visible.
Especially, Turner said, as it faces a rejuvenated
Democratic Party.
"I do think there are going to be some people who
voted for (President Barack) Obama, who are going to be
disappointed with his direction come November," Turner
said.
But to take advantage of that, he continued,
Republicans need to be more open to new members.
"We need to be more inclusive. We need to welcome in
people who are Republicans," he said. "I'm afraid that
in the past, people have been led to believe that if
they had a different opinion on a sensitive issue, then
they could just leave.
"There are going to be issues that from time to time
we have a difference of opinion on, and we should be
respectful of that. But I think 99 percent of
conservative Republicans agree on most all issues."
What they're not going to do, however, Bell said, is
try to move the party toward the left or the center --
as they were accused of during the morning's speeches.
"The Republican Party needs to be conservative," Bell
said. "That's what it is."
And the only way they win, Turner continued, is by
staying true to those principles and working together.
"If we're going to have any chance, we've got to work
together," he said. "The Democrats are working, and
unfortunately they're heavily caffeinated because
they're energized by the last election. So we've got a
lot do."
And with only 76 of the authorized 478 delegates
present Saturday, they recognized they have a lot of
work to do.
"I do get excited. I do get passionate. And we need
some excitement back in the Republican Party and some
passion back in the Republican Party," Bell said.
Also at the convention, delegates adopted a
resolution supporting Israel and one asking the county
commission to support the Defense of Marriage bill
currently in the state Legislature.
Other speakers included county commissioners Andy
Anderson and Steve Keen, state Rep. Efton Sager, state
Sen. David Rouzer and Freedom Works member Robin Stout.
Sheriff Carey Winders also reminded everybody that he
would indeed be running for re-election in 2010.
Other officers selected include: second vice chairman
Pat Graham, secretary Ann Sullivan, treasurer Iris
Kilpatrick. At-large executive committee members
selected were Hal Keck, Linda Brock, Sandy Korschun, Joe
Daughtery, Ed Wharton, Pat Daly, Woody Anderson, Ervin
Watts, Arnold Flowers, Deloris Sager, Fred Panashy and
J.D. Price.