DISGRACED DEMOCRAT BETH
WOOD ATTACKS AUDITOR JESSICA
HOLMES, THEN ENDORSES GOP
OPPONENT
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
In the midst of the Democratic Party’s euphoria over supporting a Black woman nominee for president of the United States, longtime Democrat Beth Wood, the disgraced former NC state auditor who left office in December 2023 after pleading guilty to using a state-owned vehicle for personal errands, after allegedly crashing a state-owned car while intoxicated, has now attacked her appointed successor, Jessica Holmes, and endorsed Holmes’ Republican opponent, a member of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees who led the effort to defund and dismantle the school’s DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) policies.
In an interview with Raleigh television station WRAL last weekend, Wood is quoted as saying about Republican Dave Boliek, “He's got the thinking and the philosophy to run that agency.”
But when asked about the woman Gov. Cooper appointed to replace her nine months ago after she was indicted for misusing a state-own vehicle to run private errands, Wood said, “ She doesn’t have a clue.”
Gov. Cooper, however, still supports his choice.
"Auditor Holmes has been a diligent watchdog for taxpayer dollars and she has worked quickly to ensure the auditor’s office is more effective and transparent in helping government better serve North Carolinians,"says Jonathan Monaghan, Deputy Communications Director in the Governor's Press Office. "The Governor is grateful for her leadership and service."
Holmes, who is running in the Nov. 5th general election to keep her office another four years, has said, “I’m unbossed, unbought and most importantly for this role, I understand the value of a dollar and impact of government services on our everyday lives. We are already seeing tangible results under my leadership.”
In office not even a year, her agency, which is tasked with being state government’s nonpartisan fiscal watchdog to root out taxpayer dollar waste, has turned in some impressive reports of fiscal abuse in that time, despite experiencing a significant staff turnover after her predecessor left office.
Since being appointed by Gov. Cooper last November, Holmes has led the auditor’s office in uncovering that the communications staff of Fayetteville State University misused university-issued credit cards, racking up nearly $692,000 in questionable charges on personal expenses; that people and pets were permitted to live in the Town Hall of Fremont, as well as “…hundreds of thousands of dollars in local funds were misused or misreported,” according to the News and Observer, and pay records were falsified; along with other pending investigations.
However, that didn’t stop Wood from telling WRAL about Holmes, “You can't lead what you yourself don't understand.” Holmes, like Boliek, is not a trained certified public accountant.
But unlike 19 other states, the NC state auditor is not required to be a trained CPA, only have experience in running a government office.
Holmes, a Pender County native, UNC-Chapel Hill alumna, and labor attorney, made history in November 2014 becoming the youngest person ever elected as a Wake County commissioner at-large, where she served over one million citizens, making sure that their tax dollars appropriately funded much needed services like public education and public safety. She served two four year-terms, making history again, being elected by her fellow commissioners as chairman of the Wake County Commission Board, where she oversaw a $1.5 billion budget.
In November 2020, Holmes lost her bid in a close race to become state commissioner of labor, one of a plethora of Black women that year to lose statewide races. But in August 2021, Holmes was appointed a deputy commissioner on the North Carolina Industrial Commission.
It was after Beth Wood was caught allegedly driving a state-owned vehicle while under the influence, crashing the car, then being indicted, and decided not to run for her fifth term in office, that Gov. Cooper, in December 2023, tapped Holmes to finish out Wood’s unexpired term, making Holmes the first Black woman ever to serve on the NC Council of State.
“The gravity of being the first Black woman on the North Carolina Council of State, in a state where my ancestors were slaves, is a humbling honor, Holmes said. “I stand on the shoulders of leaders who have come before me, such as former State Auditor Ralph Campbell, Jr., who made history in 1992 as the first African American elected to a statewide constitutional office in North Carolina.”
Holmes has been endorsed by many of the state’s top Democrats like Congresswoman Alma Adams, state Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue, and of course, Governor Roy Cooper.
Organizations that have endorsed her include Equality North Carolina Action Fund PAC, Pro-Choice North Carolina, the NC State AFL-CIO, Lillian’s List and the NCAE.
The Republican who Democrat Beth Wood has chosen to throw her support behind, Dave Boliek, is endorsed by conservatives like the Crystal Coast Tea Party, State Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger, and NC House Speaker Tim Moore, among others.
As head of the Budget, Finance and Infrastructure Committee for the UNC - Chapel Hill Board of Trustees, Boliek successfully pushed for the removal of all DEI funding from the institution’s budget earlier this year, transferring $2.3 million to public safety “…to protect the campus from groups that disrupt the university’s operations.”
The move resulted in the loss of the university’s diversity office.
“I think this entire DEI effort has been one of, if not the most divisive things in higher education in modern history,” Boliek said last April. “It cuts against non-discrimination and I don’t see a return on the money being spent, in my experience.”
If elected, Boliek says he wants to create an ‘office of election integrity” to sheriff the state’s voter rolls, voting equipment and operations, similar to what MAGA Republican officials are trying to do in other states.
Wood, is a registered Democrat, but according to sources inside state government, has recently leaned Republican, particularly during the years that she worked with former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory. Wood was first elected to office in 2008, subsequently winning three successive elections.
Last Monday on “X” (formerly known as Twitter), State Democratic Anderson Clayton wasted no time standing strong behind State Auditor Jessica Holmes.
“The NC Democratic Party unequivocally, enthusiastically stands behind Auditor Jessica Holmes. As someone who grew up in rural eastern NC, Auditor Holmes knows the struggles of small communities across our state and will continue to fight for them. Because THAT is what public servants do.”
NCDP Chair Clayton continued, “Auditor Jessica Holmes understands the value of a dollar and the impact of government services on our everyday lives. There is no one North Carolina Democrats trust more to protect our taxpayer dollars and root out corruption than her.”
“The opinion of a disgraced auditor who misused State property, in direct conflict to the whole point of their job, and has now endorsed a MAGA election-denier, won’t change our mind - no resentment.”
NCDP Chair Clayton then asked her “X” followers to donate to Holmes’ campaign, later adding, “ A Chapel Hill law school grad, youngest woman to ever sit on the Wake County Board of County Commissioners, youngest CHAIR of that same board of the largest county in the state. Jessica Holmes is MORE than qualified. Anyone who thinks otherwise, hasn’t done their research, or maybe is actually bitter!!”
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FOR VOTING IN THE 2024 ELECTION
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
With little more than two months before the critical November 5th general election, now that both the Republican and Democratic parties have concluded their national conventions and only the presidential and vice presidential debates remain, what is the earliest date that North Carolinians can cast a ballot not only for president, but other important down ballot races?
September by absentee ballot, but you must follow the rules governing the process.
All of the following information is courtesy of the North Carolina State Board of Elections (ncsbe.gov). For more information, go to its website.
First, if you’re already a North Carolina registered voter, you want to confirm the fact as soon as possible so in case there are any issues, you can adequately address them long before any voting deadlines.
If you're not currently registered to vote in North Carolina, your deadline is Oct. 11th by 5 p.m.. You can do so at your local county board of elections.
In order to check your voter registration information to make sure it is accurate and up-to-date (name, address, polling place, etc.), go online to www.ncsbe. gov and go to the Voter Search Tool.
Once there if you’re an eligible, registered voter, you can also find your sample ballot in the “Your Sample Ballot” section of your Voter Search profile. Since this is an even-year election (2024), your sample ballot should be available least 50 days before the November 5th general election.
Now that you’ve confirmed your North Carolina voter registration information is correct, and you’ve secured a sample ballot, please make sure that you have your up-to-date photo identification, because the current law requires that you show one when voting, and that it be current..
In most cases, that would mean a North Carolina driver’s license.
Now that you’ve confirmed your voter registration information online through Voter Search at www.ncsbe.gov, and made sure that you have a valid photo identification, you should be properly prepared for the three ways with which you can act your ballot for candidates in North Carolina.
Again, www.ncsbe.gov provides you with descriptions of the three ways - voting early in person; voting in person on Election Day; or voting by mail (absentee ballot). But knowing the dates and deadlines for each method is important in order to make the best choice for you.
And you can only choose one.
From the www.ncsbe.gov website:
• Sept. 6, 2024: County boards of elections begin mailing absentee ballots to eligible voters who submit an absentee ballot request form. Thus, the earliest you can cast a ballot in North Carolina is as soon as you receive your mailed absentee ballot, and return it to your local county elections board.
- Oct. 11, 2024: Voter registration deadline (5 p.m.).
- Oct. 17, 2024: In-person early voting begins; same-day registration available.
- Oct. 29, 2024: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 p.m.).
- Nov. 2, 2024: In-person early voting ends (3 p.m.).
- Nov. 5, 2024: General Election Day.
- Nov. 5, 2024: Absentee ballot return deadline (7:30 p.m.).
Please note that if you plan to vote by mail, then go to https://votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home, read the instructions on securing an absentee ballot by mail, and then sending it back properly filled out and witnessed.
Also please note that voter registration and absentee voting deadlines for military personnel and overseas citizens are different from those cited above.
Again, go to www.ncsbe.gov to find out what is required of you according to the method of voting you ultimately choose.
It is important that each and every eligible voter, especially young and Black voters, be able to have their votes counted this election. But it all starts with you, and making sure that you’re properly registered. Please share this story with your family, friends, neighbors, churchgoers, fellow workers and others. Regardless of your political party, let’s all make sure we all vote this election.
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