On Saturday, Feb. 11, North Carolina Democrats dramatically changed the face of their state party. They successfully replaced an older generation of leaders endorsed by establishment politicians with a younger slate of officers who promised a vigorous, far-reaching campaign that will leave no stone unturned in the race for electoral success in 2024.
At the party’s annual midwinter meeting, delegates, obviously not pleased with the results of the 2022 mid-term elections in North Carolina, voted to oust the party’s chair, Dr. Bobbie Richardson, and install a younger and relative newcomer, Anderson Clayton, 25. Races for the party's other top officers ended with similar results. The only incumbent to survive the housecleaning was Melvin Williams, who begins his seventh term as the NCDP secretary.
Newly elected state party chair Anderson Clayton stated, "I want to thank my fellow SEC members and North Carolina Democrats across the state for trusting me to lead our party as we prepare for the 2023 and 2024 elections. I ran for chair because I believe that we can build a brighter future for NCDP from the ground up, and I can’t wait to get to work.”
Also running for state chair was our own Eric Terashima, chair of the Brunswick County Democratic Party. Eric, who also supported substantial change in the party’s leadership and direction during his campaign, couldn’t match the vote-getting capabilities generated by the party’s new regime. Nonetheless, Brunswick County Democrats appreciate Eric’s tireless work during the campaign and his efforts to build a successful party in our county and throughout the state.