Wake Is Big – What Does That Mean?

Wake Is Big – What Does That Mean?

Just last year, Wake County become the home of its one millionth resident. County officials say that 62 people enter Wake County every day. This daily resident uptick is probably more than the votes cast for hundreds of municipal candidates in elections in small towns and communities around North Carolina.  One million represents 10% of the entire state’s population. The number of registered Republicans is greater in Wake than any other county. When you add up the number of registered Republicans in Wake County, it adds up to more than the 45 smallest county registrations – combined.
There are twelve (12) cities and towns spread across the county. There’s a north, south, east, and west.
So, Wake is big.
A troubling trend involves voter registration in Wake, where the number of Unaffiliateds surpassed the number of Republicans in 2012. What is Wake GOP doing to flip that trend?
Another troubling trend is the outcome of the 2014 elections. On Election Day, there were four GOP County Commissioners. On Election Night, there were zero. This is not collateral damage from some unknown direction. It’s devastation in representation, after knowing for four years there would be a reelection ballot. I am proud of what Coble, Gianni, Matthews, and Bryan did to protect taxpayers, but who can proud of their electoral fate?
So how did the party fare in 2014? Very pastel. Too much blue, not enough red.
Ronald Reagan said five years before becoming President that our party needed to raise a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors. In Wake that would mean stand strong on the issues of the day: taxes, bonds, rail, public services, debt, roads, education, you get the picture.
The sheer size of the county means that all possible viewpoints on the right of the political spectrum should be cultivated and included. Every GOP volunteer must be courted; every volunteer leader better be kept and counted.
On March 24, over 400 delegates gathered to weigh in on party matters. That’s 0.0004 (an infinitesimal number) of the county.
There’s now a new GOP chairman, John Bryant. The big question for John and his administration is how to put a pretty, attractive face on Wake GOP to the other 999,600 (a big number)? Pastel or bold?

 

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