W I L M I N G TO N — I t w a s a standing room only crowd at the April 15, 2014 candidates’ forum hosted by the Lower Cape Fear Republican Women. Over 200 people came out to learn more about our judicial, NC Senate 9, and federal candidates. President Caro lyn Jus t i ce made the introductions and explained the simple rules of our forum: focus on the issues, don’t attack opponents, and don’t speak longer than your allotted time. Former LCFRWC President Cheryl Hunter was the time-keeper. WECT’s Jon Evans moderated. J u d i c i a l c a n d i d a t e s Lindsey Luther and Kent Harrell told us about their legal and personal experiences and why

they both felt most qualified for the seat currently occupied by Judge Rebecca Blackmore, who is retiring. Luther is an assistant district attorney in the 5th Judicial District, and Harrell has an established law practice in Burgaw. They will be on the ballot in November. For NC Senate 9, we heard from Michael Burns, Justin LaNasa and Michael Lee, who are all vying for the republican nomination. All three candidates are in favor of targeted tax incentives, with varying caveats. Michael Lee and Justin LaNasa support the Film Industry tax incentives. In addition to incentives, each candidate was asked to provide t h e i r o p i n i o n s o n i l l e g a l

immigration and the proper role of government. Burns said he’d take a “proactive, not reactive” approach to immigration but he

e m p h a t i c a l l y s t a t e d , “ n o amnesty!” LaNasa said, “We need to stop illegal immigration where it stands!” Lee, who is the son of an immigrant, said that we need

Packed house for April candidates’ forum by Sandy Best

APRIL 2014 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED VOL. 8 ISSUE 2

2013-2014 LCFRWC Executive Committee: Carolyn Justice, President; Brenda Barker, Vice President; Betty Kluttz, Secretary; Pam Higgins, Treasurer; Holly Grange, At-large; Kristi Dale, At-large. 2013-2014 LCFRWC Board Members: Officers and Brenda Barker, Fundraising Chairwoman; Laura Parks, Legislative Affairs Chairwoman; Cheryl Hunter, Campaign Chairwoman; Sandy Best, Public Relations Chairwoman and Bylaws Chairwoman; Kristi Dale, Americanism Chairwoman; Holly Grange, Membership Chairwoman; Marcy Diaz, Women’s Expo Chairwoman.

Over 200 people attended the event—standing room only!

Candidates enthusiastic about the turnout.

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Left-LCFRWC Members are The Heart of the Party, Above-US Senate Candidates at forum. Middle-NC Congress District 7 candidates.

Celebrating Forty Years of the

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Women’s Expo on June 12 by Brenda Barker, Fundraising Chairwoman

Elected officials pulled double-duty as servers at the first Annual LCFRWC Women’s Expo in June 2013.

to follow the rule of law. Michael Burns is a manager of Radio Shack in Wilmington. Justin LaNasa is a small business owner and Michael Lee has his own law firm.

US CONGRESS, DIST. 7 Political newcomer Chris Andrade and former state senators David Rouzer and Woody White are vying for the GOP nomination for Congress in NC District 7. All three men share a love of country, even though they have different views on who should represent the 7th District, and all three men are Christians. New Hanover County Commission Chairman Woody White is very well known in republican circles in Wilmington. He is in his second year of a four-y e a r t e r m o n t h e c o u n t y commission, having first been elected in 2012 to the position. Appointed to fulfill the unexpired term of former NC Senator Patrick Ballantine in 2004, he lost his bid for election to that seat to democrat Julia Boseman later that year. He also served two terms as chairman of the New Hanover County GOP, and was a delegate in 2000 and 2004 at the national GOP conventions. He is a current owner/partner in the law firm of White & Hearne, LLC, which formed in 2005, was admitted to the NC State Bar in 1994, and is a current member of the National Association of Criminal Defense At torneys . Res id ing a long picturesque Hewlett’s Creek near Wrightsville Beach, White is married with two children. White is running his campaign as someone who has lived in District 7 his entire life, except when he was attending college and law school in other states. He spent most of his formative years in Elizabethtown. As a public official, White said he led the effort to pass conservative fiscal policies at the county level which resulted in the county’s AAA bond rating. Some issues which

Planning for the Republican Women's Expo for June 12, 2014, at the Terraces at Sir Tyler is in full swing. Additionally, we have lots to celebrate because itʼs our fortieth anniversary! The Lower Cape Fear Republican Womenʼs Club was founded in 1974. Forty is also the ruby anniversary--such an appropriate color for us!

We will have the entire ballroom this year and are already at capacity for vendors, all of whom are republicans. We presently have a waiting list for businesses wanting to be present at this event, of which proceeds go to our general fund to underwrite our yearly budget, which pays for things like the candidatesʼ forums that we just held.

I wouldn't be surprised if tickets for the Expo also became hard to get as word has spread about all the fun we had at the last one! We have sponsors ca l l ing

wanting to support the LCFRWC in another event that is not only informative but lots of fun.

At the expo, we will present a check to the Veteranʼs Leadership Council of North Carolina-Cares in our effort to help the Council refurbish an old state hospital into a refuge for homeless veterans at Butner, NC. It is our “Caring for America” project, as it was last year. We have pledged to raise $7,500 for a naming opportunity of a room at the facility, and we are approximately 3/4 of the way to fulfilling our goal.

As was the case last year, our members will learn something from the republican vendors.

SO, save the date and buy your tickets as soon as they become available. If you would like to be a sponsor, get in touch with me at brendabarker@ec.rr.com.

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have been in the forefront since he was elected are the county’s solid waste plan, the county’s special use permitting process, and the amotion process of a fellow county commissioner. White believes the role of government lies in the three equal branches; although, he believes that the legislative branch has “gotten away from its principles.” He said that every decision that he makes will be based on the Constitution. If elected, “The first thing I would do is to remind them that I’ve only ever been to Washington, D.C. as a tourist.” He blamed current Washington politicians for “the mess we’re in today,” and believed he could do something to change it on “day one.” White doesn’t support amnesty. “Doing nothing is amnesty,” he cautioned. He believes he is the best person for the job because of his life experience. “One of the three of us is going to win. Pay attention to our life stories,” he said. In closing, White said, “Folks, thank you all very much...It’s been forty-two years s i n c e t h e r e h a s b e e n a congressman from the coast. I live in Wilmington but I’m from Bladen County. I balance out the agri-business interests and the coastal interests.” White opined that the founding fathers didn’t wri te term l imits into the Cons t i tu t ion because they couldn’t foresee that there would be a “professional class of politicians” that would take over our country. He said that they were farmers, merchants and lawyers, and they served their time and went home. He said that Washington was in need of more small business owners and people with real-world experience. He encouraged voters to really look at the candidates and their backgrounds. Former state senator David Rouzer is a small business owner in Johnston County. He

d i s t r ibu tes o i l f i l t e r s and degreasers to truckers and farmers for a living and hails from McGee’s Crossroads, a town about as big as it sounds. He says that he has always been on the s i d e o f f a r m e r s , a n d h i s agricultural background growing up around the family farm in Johnston County and his degrees from NC State in Agricultural Economics & Chemistry have helped him be a better advocate for local farmers. After graduating from NC State, Rouzer became an aide to US Senator Jesse Helms, where he helped draft legislation for the tobacco-quota buyout program, and finished his work on that as an aide to Senator Elizabeth Dole. Afterwards, he was called to serve President George W. Bush in the US Depar tmen t o f Agriculture. He points to his recent experience in the state senate as the co-chair of the Agriculture Committee and co-chair of the Joint Regulatory Reform Committee as invaluable experience, explaining that he played an instrumental role in cutting the state’s budget and removing regulations on small businesses. Committed to coastal issues, his family owns residential property at Kure Beach. If elected, Rouzer would like to serve the 7th District on t h e A g r i c u l t u r e a n d Transportation Committees. He says his main focus will be to secure funds for “long-term beach nourishment and inlet dredging” and tackle the outrageous coastal insurance rates brought on by recent democratic legislation. On the proper role of government, Rouzer said, “We need a very limited federal government. I d o n ’ t b e l i e v e t h e f e d e r a l government should be involved in three-quarters of what they are—education and this common core n o n s e n s e . ” O n i l l e g a l immigration, he emphasized, “I will never vote for a path to citizenship for anyone who has

come here illegally.” Rouzer feels he is the best qualified candidate to represent District 7 based on his business and government e x p e r i e n c e . In closing, he thanked the Lower Cape Fear Republican Women for hosting the forum before saying, “This country is taking a socialist trend. We’ve got to turn this around. God put this country here as a beacon and a light for the rest of the world. It’s important to build back our economy and build back our defense. Ronald Reagan and Jesse Helms almost single-handedly took down the iron curtain and Barack Obama is g o i n g t o s i n g l e - h a n d e d l y reinstate the Soviet Union...I submit to you that my experience set, both my life experience and work experience at all levels can help this country get back to the founding principles that made it great, and help turn America back to become the ‘Shining City on the Hill’ that Ronald Reagan so aptly described.” Chris Andrade is a thirty-year, decorated veteran of the Armed Forces, and a former Department of Defense employee, serving at Fort Bragg. He has had a very distinguished military career, rising to the rank of Command Sergeant Major. Among his many commendations, he is a two-time recipient of the Bronze Star Medal. He and his wife have been married for 36 y e a r s a n d s t i l l r e s i d e i n Fayetteville. When asked what he felt w a s t h e p r o p e r r o l e o f government, Andrade answered, “Our constitution established us as a republic and that means that the power is with the people. The power resides in you.” He will also go to Washington and be a leader, because in his opinion, “ t h e r e a r e n o f r e s h m a n Congressman...there are leaders and followers.” Andrade had a very detailed solution to our

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illegal immigration problem. He is in favor of biometric guest worker cards and providing no government benefits to guest workers. He feels best qualified to represent District 7 because, he said, “I think I can go to Washington and lead.” In his closing statement, Andrade thanked the Lower Cape Fear Republican Women’s Club and told us that “common citizens built a nation. I’m a candidate of t h e p e o p l e a n d f o r t h e people...God Bless Our Home.” Several questions were taken from the audience. They were concern ing e -Ver i fy, Common Core, and the federal budget. All candidates were supportive of e-Verify. All candidates support local control of education. White and Andrade support a balanced budget amendment to solve our nation’s debt problems. Rouzer is in favor of cutting spending and growing the economy.

US SenateOnly four candidates running for the US Senate participated in our f o r u m . T h e y w e r e : T e d Alexander, Greg Brannon, Mark Harris and Edward Kryn. All men were amicable, and there were no attacks on anyone’s campaigns, present or no. Ted Alexander, who is a former mayor of Shelby, NC, thinks that “government officials have forgotten that they are public servants,” and feels that the role of government is laid out in the preamble of the Constitution, which he quoted. Alexander is supportive of a balanced budget amendment because he feels spending is out of control. He also supports a line item veto (previously struck down by the US Supreme Court) and the Connie Mack Penny Plan, which cuts a penny off of every allocated dollar until the budget is balanced. For foreign policy, he believes in “Peace through

Strength,” and feels that “our biggest enemy is ourselves.” He fur ther expla ined that the government is proposing to cut our military back to pre-WWI levels. He is in favor of securing our borders. In closing, he asked voters to allow him “to be your public servant.” G r e g B r a n n o n h a s memorized the US Constitution. He quoted it in answer to every question posed. He believes that the role of government is to protect an individual’s rights. He’s in favor of the Fair Tax and auditing the Federal Reserve. He believes energy independence is the best foreign policy, and he believes that he is best suited to serve as North Carolina’s next senator because, “I know the Constitution backwards and forwards.” In closing, Brannon reminded folks that he is an obstetrician from Cary, and that he is the only candidate in the race who has been endorsed by Senators Rand Paul and Mike Lee. Mark Harris is a minister and the former president of the NC State Baptist Convention. He led the fight for North Carolina’s Marriage Amendment Act that passed in 2012. He said he originally had plans to attend law school, but was called by God to go into the seminary, instead. He b e l i e v e s t h a t t h e r o l e o f government is to “protect the rights that have been given to us by God Himself. Government is to protect those rights for each of us.” As for reigning in the national debt, he suggests cutting spending and spurring the economy by cutting regulations and getting government off the backs of small businesses. Saying that he also likes the “penny plan,” he added, “I would never support raising the debt ceiling without spending cuts in place.” He’s in favor of a strong military and national defense, and feels that “America’s standing in the

world is the weakest it has ever b e e n ” u n d e r t h e O b a m a Administration. In closing, Harris told everyone that he’d like to be the next senator from North Carolina in order to build a better life for the next generation. E d w a r d K r y n i s a physician and an abort ion survivor. He’d like to promote “Right to Life” legislation, and feels very strongly about that. He’d like to see a consistent foreign policy that doesn’t change from President to President, and he’d like for us to be financially stable by balancing our budget and no longer relying on China. He is sad to see the Federal Reserve devalue our currency. Looking around the room at the large crowd, Kryn said in his c l o s i n g s t a t e m e n t , “ I t ’ s welcoming to know that people are interested in this important election, which is so crucial.” The audience had an opportunity to ask questions. One dealt with personal property rights, of which all candidates were staunch supporters of individual property r ights . Another question concerned offshore drilling. Harris felt that each state should make those decisions and not be impeded by the federal government. Brannon also felt it should be a state decision and that entrepreneurs should do the drilling. He wants to “Drill Now!” Kryn feels that any offshore drilling should be done through private investment. Alexander responded, “We are on the verge of energy independence. It’s a state issue. It’s possible to do it in a safe way and it needs to be done!”The forums are posted on WECT. h t tp : / /www.wect .com/story/25258205/us-house-senate-gop-candidates-at tend-forum-in-wilmington.

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This is an exciting year for the Lower Cape Fear Republican Women’s Club: we’re FORTY! As part of our year-long celebration, we’re not letting the grass grow under our feet. We’ve already held two very successful candidate forums, and many of our members are diligently working on individual campaigns. While some of us were planning the candidate forums, others were planning the fast-approaching Women’s Expo, which will be held on June 12 this year. This is our annual fundraiser which supports endeavors such as the forums, slate cards, and special projects like the Veterans Leadership Council. In the coming months, we’ll be dispersing funds raised last year at our biennial auction to our primary winners. We will be holding membership teas

and voter registration drives. Who could forget the upcoming video production of “Why We’re Republican Women?” We will also be voting on new officers, who will be installed in December. There are a lot of talented and dedicated women who make the Lower Cape Fear Republican Women successful and special. However, these ladies can always use help from other talented and dedicated women. We are so much more than a monthly dinner club! Please reach out to one of the committee chairs if you are interested in becoming more involved. The next few months are going to fly by with a flurry of activity as we work our way to victory in November. We need your help to win!

~ Sandy Best

Contact us at lcfrwc@yahoo.com.

Our website address is lowercapefearrepublicanwomen.com

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LCFRWC CALENDAR

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The Lower Cape Fear Republican

Women’s Club is a chapter club of the North Carolina Federation

of Republican Women (www.

ncfrw.com) and the National Federation of Republican Women

(www.nfrw.org ). Membership to

the LCFRWC includes an

automatic membership to the NCFRW and the NFRW.

May 1, 2014, General Membership Meeting, 11:30AM social and Noon Luncheon at the City Club, Wilmington. RSVP required, carolynjustice16@gmail.com.

May 6, 2014, Primary Day!June 12, 2014, Women’s Expo, sponsored by the LCFRWC at The Terraces on Sir Tyler. Evening (Exact time TBA)July 3, 2014, General Membership Meeting, TBASeptember 4, 2014, General Membership Meeting, TBAOctober 2, 2014, General Membership Meeting, TBANovember 6, 2014, Annual Meeting, TBADecember 4, 2014, Christmas Party, TBA

EDITOR’S NOTE