Duplin Democrats welcome statewide candidates

The Duplin County Democratic Party welcomed candidates for statewide offices to a meet and greet on Saturday night, Jan. 6, at the Country Squire in Warsaw.

Mike Morgan, who retired in September as chief justice on the N.C. Supreme Court, is a native of New Bern who’s running for governor. Prior to the forum, he told the Duplin Journal that rural counties like Duplin are integral to the state. “We want to make sure rural North Carolina is not neglected,” he said.

Sen. Rachel Hunt, who serves in the state senate for Mecklenburg County and is the daughter of former Governor Jim Hunt, is running for lieutenant governor. “I think all of rural North Carolina is made up of really great people,” she told the Duplin Journal. “People that are running for statewide office should never forget the rural areas that make this state great.”

Duplin County Commissioner Wayne Branch served as emcee of the event. He encouraged those present to participate, and make their voices heard, especially in the upcoming election. “Our democracy thrives when its citizens actively participate, and joining the Democratic Party is a powerful way to contribute to the collective voice of the people,” he said. “The Democratic Party champions inclusivity, diversity, and social progress. By becoming a member, you align yourself with a party that values equal opportunities for all.”

Duplin County Democratic Party Chair Douglas Walter also took the opportunity to speak before the candidates took the floor. Walter said he was heartened to see so many faces at the event. “I can guarantee you, the Democratic Party is not going to just sit back this year,” he said.

Each of the statewide candidates in attendance took 10 minutes to speak. Judge Carolyn Thompson, who’s seeking re-election to her seat on the N.C. Court of Appeals and was appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper, was first up. She has served as a District Court Judge and Superior Court Judge, and has presided over criminal, domestic, juvenile, and mental health proceedings over 27 years.

“This seat is one of 15,” she explained. “I am currently the only African-American female out of 15 judges sitting.”

She talked about several cases in which parents didn’t fully understand their rights, and ended up losing their rights as a result. When asked by colleagues if she’s an activist judge, she said she “actively pursues justice.”

Sen. Hunt spoke next. She was elected to the state senate in 2022, and has served two terms in the N.C. House of Representatives. “Unless we allow people in rural areas to grow and thrive and prosper, we are not doing our jobs,” she said. “People in rural areas are the backbone of North Carolina.”

Because she’s running for a state office, Hunt said it’s important to visit every single county in the state. “I want to raise us up, I want to open people’s eyes, especially to the importance of the legislature to everyone’s lives, and so then, people will get involved.”

Finally, gubernatorial candidate Justice Michael Morgan spoke. A native of Cherry Point who grew up in New Bern, Morgan has served as a District Court Judge, Superior Court Judge, and N.C. Supreme Court Justice.

“The reason why I’m running,” he said, “there are several reasons. One is that the state’s government is broken. Consider that we’ve got 3,500 teacher vacancies in our public schools, 12 people dying daily from fentanyl overdoses, we’ve got a 45-day waiting period just to get an appointment with the DMV. Something’s wrong. We can do better than that.”

As the first Black student at his elementary school and the first Black drum major at his high school, Morgan said he learned that you’ve got to have courage, and exercise leadership.

Education is his number 1 priority. “Rural students, like right here in this county, deserve to have the kind of education everyone else has in North Carolina.”

Criminal justice reform and affordable housing are also high on his list of priorities, Morgan said. “We have too much good going on in North Carolina for anyone to be compartmentalized and marginalized. Everybody deserves to have the opportunity to be all they can be.”

“North Carolina is going forward,” he concluded. “We’re not going backwards. We’re going forward, and Duplin County is leading the way.”