PRESENT (or Represented)
George Keller
Chuck Durand
Sandra Bradbury
Matthew Hebb
Ken Selden
Ed Osada
Bill Reynolds
Don Yelton
Alice Keller
Troy Dill
Frances Cosgrove
Kathie Lack
Mary Ann Durand
Sid Johnson
Zora Hayes
Bill Lack
Beki Taylor
Frank Kirkland
Jerry Orr
Dudley Camper
Kathi Robertson
Mark Delk
NOT PRESENT (or Represented)
Nancy Day: 298-0196
Marianne Reinert: 252-7559
Gerry Kitch: 250-9805
Henry Mitchell: 274-3419
Larry Fowler: 253-5970
Toni Dillingham: 252-9520
Albert Sneed: 277-5646
David Hughes: 298-2289
Gene Presley: 255-8559
Steve Duncan: 258-6368
Steven Green: 299-0953
Judy Long: 258-3321
David Ivey: 274-3536
Bill Fishburne: 279-7562
Wayne Warren: 253-9041
Steve Roberts: 669-7803
Tina Marlow: 628-1356
Nathan Ramsey: 628-1643
Ray-Lee Jarrett: 683-9783
John Sutton: 667-3140
Daniel Rodriguez: 582-1568
Steve Starnes: 667-0707
Jerry Lemonds: 645-3291
Aaron Pettit: 628-4558
Jennifer Styles: 667-8511
Nicolette Payne: 626-3016
Kyle Carver: 683-2075
Ralph Eubanks: 253-6772
Renee Russell: 684-0037
Laurie Boulos: 687-3560
David Brown: 298-4877
Bill Duckett: 683-3592
Michelle Cox: 683-4620
Tony Ponder: 684-0896
Tom Rightmyer: 225-0515
Ann Bell: 258-9271
Ken Marshall: 251-9153
Anna Cannon: 669-2735
Bill Porter: 252-4441
Robin Ramsey: 628-1643
Sylvia Arrowood: 669-5617
Catherine Jackson: 779-1896
Kathey Gilmer: 669-7303
Bob Long: 258-3321
Bob Brown: 628-4087
Mary Jane Westall: 254-6221
Kathy Rhodarmer: 667-8077
A QUORUM WAS NOT PRESENT * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chairman George Keller called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. at Ryan’s Family Steak House on Patton Avenue. Don Yelton gave the invocation and George led the pledge of allegiance.
Representative Charles Taylor thanked the group for their work on behalf of candidates. He was recently with Eric Gorney at a fundraiser and felt Eric is very well qualified. There are many candidates running in WNC. Charles Thomas was recently at an affair at the First Step Farm honoring women. Contrary to what his opponent says, which is that Taylor is 8-11 points behind in the race, Republican polls show it is a close race. Democrats are sending $9 million into WNC and there are funny names involved with that funding. These groups are not real, except the National Teachers’ Union, which endorsed Taylor’s opponent (who dropped out of college to play ball). Taylor says we have the support, we just need to turn out the vote.
Taylor said a letter from Mrs. Bush will be in the paper tomorrow. She will ask women to help turn out the vote and bring men with them. There will be a phone number to reserve a place at the event. Taylor said he would do a town hall meeting tonight. Many people call in to those meetings and can get answers. Taylor noted his opponent can lie on television, but will not answer questions on the phone or anywhere else.
Kathie Lack thought illegal immigration would get people out to vote. Taylor replied they have an ad talking about what would happen if Nancy Pelosi, et al., are elected and what the problems will be. One is illegal immigration. In California they let illegal immigrants vote. The President’s bill is helping close the borders and there is no amnesty.
Troy Dill said Taylor’s latest radio ad is refreshing to hear Taylor say what he believes about what’s going on. Dill noted Taylor seems like a normal person rather than a politician and he was impressed. Taylor said he appreciated those remarks and said they are asking people to go to their web site. The Asheville Citizen-Times took information off their web site. Taylor again thanked the group for helping. He is doing 6-7 events a day and hoped to be able to have a big victory.
Sandra Bradbury called the role.
Minutes as posted on the web site were approved.
George noted this is the last meeting before election and volunteers are needed. Early voting is a slow process handing out cards, but it helps. There will be a conference call to Republican Chairmen at 7:30 tonight. Our Judge candidates are pledged not to legislate from the bench. George thought it was fun to give canary cards to Democrats. On November 7, we need to find out who is putting up 75 signs.
Chuck said it will be cold working outside the polls on election day. Some precincts have been split. All Republican judges are in place and we only need one clerk. We will be staffed on the inside for this election, but need staffing outside. More yellow cards are being printed and everyone needs to pick up cards to pass out to everyone. We need conservative judges who will not legislate from the bench. Chuck noted there were many Democrats at Bobby Medford’s barbeque and they wanted the cards.
Chuck said we have signs for polling places and cement to put around them. Don said signs are placed on election day and there needs to be a list of those precincts. Chuck said he has that list. Signs have to be up before 6:30 a.m. Beki said she has 30 men coming here on the Saturday before Tuesday’s election. They will get up early and put up signs. Let her know and they will get signs up. Matt wanted to know if they could get Taylor signs in on wooden stakes. Some places don’t have enough dirt for metal stakes. George said signs would be distributed at the end of this meeting.
Bev noted there are no signs at some early polling places because they have been taken. She asked if there was anybody who could put signs up early and take them down every night. George said there is no place to put signs up this time at the Board of Elections and noted again we need volunteers.
George said volunteers will hand out literature for 13 hours in front of each polling place. Beki said she had some signs and urged people to tell her where they needed them. Chuck said we cannot let the Democrats harass people. If this happens the Chief Judge needs to be told and they will respond. If there is no response, call Chuck and he will go to the Board of Elections to complain.
Chuck asked if we could give people a sample ballot when they come in to vote. Democrats are filling them out for Democrat candidates in Black Mountain. George said we can get sample ballots at the Board of Elections, but there are eight different ones. Charles Thomas noted ballots can be downloaded online. There are criminal laws about harassing or impeding voters on the way in. One can be charged with a criminal act for making vile remarks to anyone working at the polls. There was a reminder that ballots are two-sided.
Frances asked if outside workers could go inside to talk to the Chief Judge. She was told that was okay, but don’t have any political buttons on. There was disagreement whether buttons could be worn inside or not. George said if there was any problem that could not be handled, to call him. Bill Lack thought most Judges stopped problems. He has seen them call down Democrats.
George thanked everyone for volunteering and for everything they do in this election. There are a lot of volunteers working this time.
George noted there will be an ad in the newspaper for the Action Club. Don said all of the local candidates and those in the surrounding area will be included in the ad. Beki said the Blue Ridge Republican Women’s Club will have an insert in the paper the day of the election. Postcards have been mailed and will be mailed again November 1. We will not call people on election day because there is no way to know who has already voted. Hopefully polling records can be automated in the future so we can get an electronic copy. Then we can go back to calling at headquarters. If we can have signs and literature at all 75 polling places, it was felt we would win.
Beki said on election day we mark off those who have voted early and call those who have not voted. We will ask them to go out and vote for the entire Republican ticket. Bev said early voting is doing well, but our signs are being taken.
George said the Kids Club has been helping us. They have marked out judge candidates on white cards.
Don thought somebody needed to be a floater during the election. George said he will do that and Frances will do it in her precinct.
George asked Don Yelton to talk about his plan (see attachment).
Candidate Eric Gorney said he could only raise about $13,000. He will send out a post card soon to unaffiliated and some other voters and needs $2,000 for postage.
Candidate Charles Thomas said they are spending money on his race. Brian Freeborn is his opponent’s campaign manager. This is an open seat and the Democrats are behind Doug Jones. Charles noted that Susan Fisher is not on television, but Jones is on television. Robin Cape and Brownie Newman have endorsed Jones and Charles noted they hate him, but Charles said he likes that. Charles feels Cape and Newman are nasty and underhanded. Charles has received phone calls making remarks about his children and other subjects. Jones is highly motivated and is going door-to-door promising anything. Charles feels he is in a tough fight for voter turnout, but we will win this fight. The races are tight and our people are not responding to the polls. Turnout is most important. Charles encouraged everyone to vote.
Matt said now that he knew about Brian Freeborn being involved with Jones’ race, he knew people who will withdraw their support for Jones.
Bill Reynolds wanted to know if we can find out who is stealing our signs, maybe get an agency to watch for a few nights and film them. Bill Lack noted someone also needs to watch our headquarters. Three signs were missing this morning.
The meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sandra Bradbury, Secretary
Buncombe County Republican Executive Committee