MEDIA ADVISORY Contact: Lon Anderson
A Note to the Media from BCDP Chair Shelley Allen
Recently, we in the Democratic Party of Brunswick County have become increasingly concerned that our local Democratic candidates are largely unable to get their information before the public because their incumbent opponents are refusing to participate in public forums, public debates, or town hall meetings.
By declining to publicly appear before their constituents to defend their records and share their future plans, the Republicans are effectively shutting down these events. How? The organizations that would normally hold them—The League of Women Voters, media organizations, AARP, Sierra Club, and others—do NOT wish to hold functions without both parties’ participation. This decision has the unintended consequence of one party being able to exercise veto power over public discussion and to successfully muzzle opponents. This is a real threat to local democracy.
We believe this is a story worth covering or perhaps editorializing about. I’m attaching a joint statement from our candidates expressing their frustration over not being able to debate actions and policies with the incumbents. It is our hope that you will work with us to better offer our citizens opportunities to have access to all candidates running for election this year. I will be happy to do interviews, or help you line up interviews with any of our candidates, or discuss this matter with you further.
Thank you for your consideration.
ATTACHMENT: For Immediate Release
The following is a joint statement from Brunswick County Democratic candidates in this year’s election:
Connecting the Red Dots: Silence of the GOP
As we approach Election Day, members of the 7th Congressional District deserve to hear from their political leaders about the issues that matter most to them. Sadly, our congressman since 2015, David Rouzer, doesn’t agree. Instead, he believes he doesn’t need to address his constituents — at least not beyond curated meetings with likely supporters.
The same is true for his GOP colleagues in the North Carolina General Assembly and on county commissions. Many of these Republican incumbents, charged with representing the people, rarely engage with their constituents. General Assembly Senator Bill Rabon is a prime example. Unicorns are seen more often.
Despite multiple requests for a public debate from Marlando Pridgen, Rouzer’s challenger, the congressman has remained conspicuously silent. This silence is more than just a missed opportunity for political discourse; it's a disservice to the voters he is supposed to represent.
By refusing to engage in a debate, Rouzer is denying the people of his district the chance to hear his platform, evaluate his performance and ask questions about the decisions he has made during his time in office. He has not appeared in a public forum since 2017 — more than seven years ago. How can we trust him to represent our interests in Washington when he steadfastly avoids taking the time to speak to voters during his campaign?
Compounding the issue, local media outlets and non-partisan organizations, in an effort to maintain neutrality, have given the GOP a veto power by declining to host forums if both parties do not agree to appear. Thus, Rouzer and his fellow incumbents control the narrative, effectively denying opponents the opportunity to make their case to the public.
It’s worth noting WECT, a respected local news station, expressed interest in airing a debate; Rouzer declined. Similarly, his counterparts on the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners (Pat Sykes, Mike Forte and Frank Williams) chose not to participate in a candidate forum proposed by the Brunswick Beacon, one of the county’s newspapers of record. Similar requests by other non-partisan groups have been ignored or declined to date.
As a result, the Democratic challengers — Bob Fulton, Tom Simmons and Jonathan Damico, who accepted such invitations — were effectively muzzled.
What are they afraid of?
In a democracy, debates are a critical part of the electoral process. They allow voters to make informed decisions by hearing directly from the candidates their policies, plans and positions on the issues. The pattern of GOP incumbents refusing to participate raises serious questions about their commitment to transparency, accountability and mutually respectful solution-building.
Moreover, Rouzer’s lack of response is indicative of a broader pattern of neglect during his time in office. Constituents across the district have long complained about his inaccessibility and failure to address their concerns. Whether it's issues related to healthcare, education, or infrastructure, many feel their voices are ignored. Of special note is Rouzer’s obtuse and ill-prepared field responses to coastal natural disasters and severe flooding. After nearly 10 years in Congress, encompassing some of the worst hurricanes in the state’s history, Rouzer has been slow to react, making limited headway on long-term solutions.
Rouzer’s stunning failure to even acknowledge — for six long days — the devastation his constituents experienced in several counties in his district due to “Potential Cyclone 8,” including massive flooding and road and bridge collapses, is sadly unsurprising. Governor Cooper flew by helicopter into Southport two days after the storm, having declared a state of emergency the previous day for Brunswick, New Hanover, Columbus, and Bladen Counties — all part of Rouzer’s district. Several days later, Rouzer’s performative response and staged photo-op came across as an afterthought and contained nothing more than a website link to emergency services for his suffering constituents.
As Election Day approaches, the people of the 7th Congressional District deserve representatives willing to engage with them, to listen to their concerns and to be accountable for their actions. The neglect of Rouzer and his and state and local colleagues speaks volumes. It's now up to the voters to decide whether they want to continue with representatives who refuse to communicate — or to elect new leaders who will stand up and speak out on their behalf.
For too long, we have been connecting the red dots, and the picture they create is one of arrogant disregard and negligence. The people of our district deserve better.
Marlando Pridgen, candidate, U.S. Congress House District 7
Katie Randall, candidate, NC Senate District 8
Charles Jones, candidate, NC House District 17
Jill Brown, candidate, NC House District 19
Janis Simmons, candidate, Brunswick County School Board
Jonathan Damico, candidate, Brunswick County commissioner
Tom Simmons, candidate, Brunswick County commissioner
Robert Fulton, candidate, Brunswick County commissioner
Acquinetta Beatty, candidate, Brunswick County Register of Deeds
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