WENTWORTH, N.C. (WHGP)-- Longtime Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, who acted as statewide chair of previous President Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign, obviously has his eye on higher office.
Page, a 66-year-old Republican who was re-elected to his sixth term in November, validated to WGHP that he is having a press conference Saturday early morning to discuss his political future. Sources told WGHP that Page will reveal he is looking for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor.
Page only would say that the news conference would be at 10 a.m. at the Rockingham Republican head office, which is at 221 Piedmont St. in Reidsville.
Diane Parnell, the chair of the Rockingham GOP, validated that Page had asked to utilize the center and she had actually heard from higher-level GOP authorities that Page "needs to be running for higher workplace."
Two sources acquainted with Page and GOP politics confirmed the plans, and Page apparently had actually traveled to
Raleigh on Friday morning to submit his documents with the state party.
A source with the state Republican Party said he had not heard discussions about the possibility of Page's going into the race for lieutenant guv.
Rockingham County Sheriff Sam page talks to FOX8 in December 2020.
Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, chosen in 2020, is running for governor to prosper Democrat Roy Cooper, who is term-limited.
Notably, in North Carolina, prospects for governor and lieutenant guv do not run together on the exact same ticket.
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Likely prospects
The NC Board of Elections website has actually not published a list of candidates who have actually submitted for the 2024 election, Page, long a force in state Republican politics, would get in a crowded field. Based on a candidate tracking sheet maintained by Catawba College federal government teacher and blogger Michael Bitzer, there are already five validated Republican prospects for lieutenant governor:
- Jeffrey Wilmore, the long-time representative in House District 94 who likewise teaches in Wilkes County Public Schools.
- Hal Weatherman, who was chief of staff and campaign manager for former Lt. Gov. Dan Forest.
- Jim Kee, a former member of the Greensboro City Council and candidate in 2 other elections.
- Peter Boykin, owner of the conservative political website GoRightNews.com.
- Allen Mashburn, pastor of Asbury Baptist Church in Randolph County who is photographed on his website with Lt. Gov. Robinson.
Sen. Jim Burgin (R-Hartnett) likewise has actually been discussed as a prospect however is unofficial.
There likewise are four Democrats who have validated their strategies:
- Rachel Hunt, a state senator from Mecklenburg County and child of previous Gov. Jim Hunt.
- Ben Clark, a previous state senator from Chatham County who ran for Congress in the 9th District last November.
- Raymond Smith Jr., a former agent for District 21 in the state House.
- Delmonte Crawford, a civil rights activist without any previous political experience.
Former Spring Lake Mayor Chris Rey withdrew his previously announced plans. State Sen. Sydney Batch (D-Wake) has actually been discussed.
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Trump's assistance
The trump card in all of this though might be Trump himself. Page, in 2019 took control of as his state chair, and Trump carried North Carolina in 2020, beating President Joe Biden by less than 75,000 votes.
Page and Robinson, who won his first political race by 3.2 portion points, both have strong relationships with Trump, and Robinson and Trump appeared at a statewide project rally last spring for Sen. Ted Budd, who won his race over Democrat Cheri Beasley in November largely since of their endorsements.
WASHINGTON, DC – – FEBRUARY 7: (AFP OUT) Stephen Miller, White House senior advisor for policy, left, speak with Samuel Page, constable from Rockingham County, North Carolina before the start of a listening session with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on February 7, 2017 in
Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harrer – – Pool/Getty Images).
Trump-- in addition to previous Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis-- is scheduled to attend the GOP state convention June 8-11 at the Koury Convention Center in
Greensboro.
Robinson, a
Greensboro native, likewise has validated his strategies to participate in. State Treasurer Dale Folwell, a local of Winston-
Salem, and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker of
Greensboro, also GOP prospects for governor, are expected to join him, although the program does not consist of a scheduled appearance for any of them.
Dominant triumphes
Page, a recognized force among sheriffs in North Carolina, likewise has gone to occasions at the White House when Trump remained in office and testified prior to Congress about police and immigration. He worked as a member of the National Sheriff's Association's Border Security and Immigration Committee.
Very first elected in 1998, Page made 65.7% of the more than 32,000 votes cast in beating two challengers for constable last November. He was unopposed in 2018 and took 76% of the votes in 2014.
Page is a 1975 graduate of Reidsville High School, but his profile on LinkedIn shows no college coursework. He served in the U.S. Air Force (1975-80) and prior to running for sheriff was a detective in the Eden Police Department.
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