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Brunswick County Democrats and supporters, volunteers, and candidates: I couldn’t be prouder of you than I am today, nor could I be happier for our state and country. Let’s start with our nation. Did everyone wake up feeling a bit lighter on Wednesday morning? The weight of a decade of oppressive Trumpism (Biden’s term of office notwithstanding) has finally been cast from our shoulders as the American people resoundingly declared, “NO MORE!” We the people rejected Trump’s Ira

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.29.26 Michael Whatley has never held elective office. His positions on inflation, tariffs and Trump’s Iran War show why he never should. Whatley says, “Grocery prices are down,” but they’re up. He says, “there is no inflation,” but it’s 3.7%, versus 3% when Trump was inaugurated. The Fed just raised interest rates for the first time in three years because inflation is so high. Mortgage rates have soared under Trump from 6.91% to 7.4

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.29.26 In March, Chemours gave Whatley $5,000 for his Republican primary election campaign — the maximum amount allowed. Chemours could give Whatley another $5,000 for the general election. Why did Chemours bankroll Whatley? In 2020, NC’s then Attorney General (now governor) Josh Stein sued Chemours and its parent DuPont. “DuPont and Chemours dumped PFAS into our state’s drinking waters when they knew these forever chemicals are dang

If you’re reading our Midterm Election newsletter before Tuesday, November 3, you know only days remain in this year’s all-important mid-term elections. And because our readers are among our most dedicated Democrats, you’ve probably already voted. Thank you for that. Now that you have joined thousands of your fellow early-voting citizens, the Brunswick County Democratic Party has one more ask: Will you contact friends and family who share your political views to make sure the

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.22.26 There is a general rule at all levels of baseball: three strikes and you are out. The North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) struck out when they placed the following constitutional amendments on the ballot: 1.) Cap the NC income tax rate at 3.5%; 2.) Place limits on property tax increases by local governments; and 3.) Require ALL voters (expansion to include mail in voters) to present a photo ID. Current legislators should be

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.22.26 Americans have a choice: Congress can act now to protect Social Security or wait until its reserves run short in 2032 and millions of retirees face benefit cuts. The longer lawmakers wait, the harder the choices become. Democrats and Republicans have different approaches. Democrats propose making higher earners pay their fair share by raising or eliminating the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes. Republicans, who c

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.22.26 That’s Marjorie Taylor Greene’s “Clue”-like answer to MAGA’s demise. On Sept. 24, Greene appeared at the massive, multi-day Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, Texas. “TribFest” brings political, business and civic leaders together with prominent journalists to discuss today’s most pressing public policy and political issues. Greene blamed Trump’s efforts to keep the Jeffrey Epstein files under wraps for destroying MAGA. The Te

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.22.26 Is the U.S. Senate once again where a witch-hunt went to die? In the 1950s, Sen. Joe McCarthy (R-WI) smeared thousands of innocent people as Communists. McCarthy even accused the U.S. Army of being “soft” on Communism. At a 1954 Senate hearing, McCarthy met his match in the Army’s lawyer, Joseph Welch. A frustrated McCarthy accused a young associate in Welch’s firm of communist sympathies. Welch replied, “Until this moment,

By Shelley Allen, Chair, Brunswick County Democratic Party First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.15.26 "I love the inflation,” said Trump, as inflation jumped and wages slumped. Trump has a 22% inflation approval rating because 95% of Americans have an affordability crisis. Three-quarters of Americans say Trump focuses on vanity projects, like his gilded ballroom, instead of them. Trump and his MAGA Republican enablers made your life unnecessarily harder. REPUBLICAN TAR

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.08.26 In Mel Brooks’ ”Blazing Saddles,” a sheriff confronts an angry mob. He holds his own gun to his head and warns them he’ll shoot. Employing the same logic, Trump threatened the Federal Reserve, America’s central bank created by Congress to independently set interest rates. “LOWER THE RATE OR I’LL STOP TRADING WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE A DEFICIT,” Trump posted. The Fed voted unanimously to raise rates anyway. The Wall St

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.08.26 On Sept. 16, Donald Trump stumped in Gastonia, North Carolina using lies, insults and threats. “Nobody used to think of North Carolina as a dangerous state, criminally dangerous ... now it’s one of the most violent and one of the worst in the whole nation,” Trump charged. He hoped to smear the Democratic senate nominee, former two-term Gov. Roy Cooper, who has never lost an election in four decades of public service to NC. But

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.01.26 We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us — people whose labor, sacrifice and imperfect striving shaped the personal, familial and national stories we inherit. From them we learn three enduring virtues: gratitude for what was built, humility about our place within it, and responsibility for carrying it forward. These are not abstract ideals; they are obligations that bind us to one another and remind us that citize

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.01.26 In 2024 Trump pledged: “I will immediately bring prices down, starting on Day One.” In 2025 Trump posted: “I AM THE AFFORDABILITY PRESIDENT.” But Trump’s unconstitutional tariffs and unprovoked Iran war made everything more expensive, burdening you with the highest August gasoline prices in history. Denying reality, Trump called affordability a "hoax" and a “con job.” Trump bragged: “This is the greatest we'll ever be!” Ameri

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.01.26 Americans were shocked when a sailor jumped off the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln to escape unbearable conditions. Lack of food, broken toilets, and a record 286 days at sea led eight sailors to attempt suicide, said Acting Navy Secretary Cao. Family members said the Navy was “starving” their “emaciated” loved ones and “gaslighting families.” “No, they’re not,” said Trump. Photos showed the carrier covered in rust and scum. “Running

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.01.26 Vance’s iconic plea about November’s election led Trump’s former Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews to say, “Republicans have had complete government control for the last two years. Now Vance is literally begging, saying, ‘we know everything is a disaster, just give us two more years!’” What was Vance thinking when he asked for a do-over? Was it, “We promised to bring down prices on Day One and campaigned on affordability,

This is not a message of alarm or concern. It is one of resolve, conviction and determination. In normal times, the function of good government is to bring the sides together and forge solutions that best meet the needs of all its constituents. But repeated efforts to find common ground between democracy’s allies and the cult once known as the Republican Party have largely failed, because MAGA’s only goal is to enrich themselves by exploiting the power of elected office. The