How to mark your 2022 Cleveland County Republican Primary Ballot!!!
Recommendations by Robert A.
A few people are already voting in this Early Voting period before the “REAL” Election Day, May 17, 2022. As for me, I always vote on Election Day. That way my ballot is only in the ballot box a few hours before it is counted. Instead of maybe up to two weeks or more before ballots are counted. Election Day ballots, in my opinion, are intrinsically more secure than ballots laying around in storage for 15 days or so. Especially since North Carolina Governor, Roy Cooper, is a Democrat and ALL local Boards of Elections are under his control. Therefore, there are all kinds of partisan dirty tricks that can be pulled. Just look at the Dirty Tricks being pulled by the Cleveland County Rogue Republicans in the School Board and County Commissioner races. Robert Queen, Kevin Whisnant, Wes Westmoreland, Ron Humphries, David Allen and others. But their advantage is only with the low-information voters. The people that don’t pay attention to what is going on around them. You folks that are reading this are NOT low-information. I try to see to that.
Also, as for me, I pay attention and then I make recommendations. Recommendations that include a marked-up sample ballot followed up with facts and figures about why I am making that recommendations. Not with lies and deceptions like the ones put out by the Rogue Republicans Robert Queen and Kevin Whisnant. Unlike these newbies, I have been doing this for well over 20 years.
My Marked-up Sample Ballot is attached at the end of this article. I will start now with my reasons why I recommend those candidates that I have marked up on that sample ballot.
US Senator: Ted Budd
The First list of Federal Offices on the Ballot is for the US Senator to replace Richard Burr. There are 14 candidates listed. Some I know of and some I don’t. President Donald Trump recommends Ted Budd and Ted Budd says he will support those policies put out put out in the Trump Administration that worked so well. Lower Taxes, cut spending, open the Keystone XL Pipeline, bring jobs back from China and Mexico, Energy independence and low gas prices, record jobs too. That is good enough for me. I marked Ted Budd for US Senator.
US House of Representatives: Jeff Gregory
Patrick McHenry is the incumbent, running for re-election. McHenry used to run as an outsider, even as he became an insider. McHenry is sort of a conservative. Gregory is a Trump supporting conservative. Gregory is from Cleveland County and still lives in Cleveland County. My recommendation is Jeff Gregory for US House.
NC Supreme Court-Seat 5: Trey Allen
The NC Supreme Court has become too soft and cuddly. Letting the liberal Democrats over-rule the NC General Assembly way too often. We need somebody with “Balls” in this office. And Trey Allen is the only one that fits that description in this primary race. In more ways than one.
NC Court of Appeals, Judge Number 9: Donna Stroud
Donna Stroud is an incumbent running for re-election. Her opponent, Beth Freshwater Smith is a younger local District Court Judge trying to make the big leap into the NC Court of Appeals. As close as things are in Raleigh between the Democrats and Republicans, this time I recommend staying with Stroud. Freshwater Smith has plenty of time to get there as a more experienced higher-level judge. Maybe a run for Governor in 2024.
NC Court of Appeals, Judge Number 11: Michael J. Stading
Stading’s opponent came up through the NC Industrial Commission. Which, in my opinion, is an incubator for insider political hacks. Stading is still serving his country as an Air Force Reservist Captain for th3e Judge Advocate General’s Corp, as an ADA as a criminal prosecutor, as a neighbor in Judicial District 26A. I say, let’s send Stading to Raleigh as he is for Law and Order, traditional values and other such things that are of high value here in Cleveland County.
The Cleveland County Board of Commissioners: Deb Hardin and Doug Bridges.
In other times I might say that Deb and Doug have got to go. They have gone along with too much raising of taxes and wasteful spending of money as a minority on the Commissioners offices. And when they get on the majority, they have still gone along with too much taxing and too much wasteful spending. All in the name of going along to get along. However, their opponents, David White and Malarie Thompson, have “soft spots” too. David White is an elected City of Shelby Councilman with years still on his term in office. Just like the Rogue Republican crowd trying to influence the School Board race, there are Rogue Republicans said to be plotting to get David White elected as a Commissioner, then having him chose to stay as a Shelby City Councilman and the Republican Executive Committee would appoint Millie Holbrook (Eddie Holbrook’s wife) to serve that four-year term. (New information says the CC Republican Party Executive Committee is now set to appoint Kevin Whisnant as the Commissioner to replace David White). Malarie Thompson is from Upper Cleveland County and is reputed to be smart as a whip. However, her youth and political inexperience would make her totally vulnerable to the political shenanigans going on in the County Offices. Her learning curve is just too high. Therefore, I recommend we hold our noses and vote for Deb Hardin and Doug Bridges in this 2022 Republican Primary Election and recruit three good candidate, maybe Malarie Thompson included, for the 2024 Elections where a new MAJORITY on the Commissioner Board can be formed in a year that the voter turnout will be more spectacular than this year.
Cleveland County School Board: Danny Blanton, Ronnie Grigg and Annette Fain
There are four seats open in this race, but I only recommend voting for Danny Blanton, Ronnie Grigg and Annette Fain. Danny Blanton is a 9-year incumbent running for re-election. Ronnie Grigg and Annette Fain are newcomers. Each of these three have the right combination of honesty, integrity, character and desire to give parents and taxpayers plenty of input in the running of Cleveland County Schools instead of the NO input from taxpayers and parents the present School Board under Chairman Robert “Luke” Queen practices. Also, the Rogue Republicans have recruited and indoctrinated the other four school board candidates into believing that parents and taxpayers should NOT be allowed to speak up and have input into CCS. Also, Robert Queen and the Rogue Republicans have mounted a vicious, deceptive, false and mean Rogue Republican attack on Blanton, Grigg and Fain. Folks, if YOU are tired of Dirty Politics, vote Blanton, Grigg and Fain for school board. It is YOUR children that are at risk here. So, do the right thing!!!
Malt Beverages and Wine: Vote YES for both
Folks, I remember when Cleveland County was legally a completely “DRY” county. Bootleggers, “Clubs” and “nip joints” were all over. Now just about every town, and Cleveland County has 15 towns, sell alcoholic beverages. And there are very few stores in the County, outside of a town city limit, where you can buy groceries in bulk at reasonable prices. YOU don’t have to buy the stuff if you don’t want to. But if you want a big grocery store in Upper Cleveland and other places, this is what you are going to have to do.
Sample Ballot-2022 RPrimary-CC