This TownTalk segment is part of continuing coverage of the upcoming nonpartisan municipal elections on Oct. 10 in Henderson. Early voting is underway and continues through Oct. 7.
Of the 17 candidates on the ballot for the Henderson municipal elections, only one is a registered Republican, but county Republican leaders had a chance to sit down with a number of the candidates recently and formed their own list of endorsements.
Jimmy Barrier, chair of the Vance County GOP, spoke on Monday’s TownTalk to share that list of candidates and to discuss the process of choosing which candidates to support.
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According to party guidelines, Barrier said local GOP groups like his are obliged to support Republican candidates. In this case, Ward 3 at-large candidate Michelle Horner Wood is the lone registered Republican on the ballot in the nonpartisan elections.
In addition to Wood, Barrier said his group made the following endorsements:
- Mayor – Greg Etheridge
- Ward 1 – Symia Crews
- Ward 2 – Sam Seifert
Barrier said none of the candidates running for the Ward 4 at-large seat attended the recent gathering.
“We attempted to contact all of the candidates,” he said, “to find out if anybody would come out and talk to the Republicans only.” The candidates answered a series of questions before a panel of local GOP members. Barrier was the moderator and asked the same questions of each candidate.
“I asked fair questions, honest questions,” Barrier said, rather than having candidates speak in a debate format. “If you didn’t come talk to us, we weren’t going to endorse you,” he added.
Barrier said the candidates responded to questions they may face as a member of the City Council – how to spend money, zoning, things like that.
One question was “Would you ever make Henderson a “sanctuary city?” he said.
“We must come together in Henderson as one,” Barrier said, adding that it’s crucial to choose the best candidates for the job.
“We need good, solid businesspeople in office to get us above and beyond where we’re at now,” he said.
