At the GOP Convention: Daves vs. Kindley
I'm sitting in the GOP Convention down in Charlotte and in a reversal of policy, it appears that we scruffy media types are going to be allowed to monitor the election of the state party's new chairman. That fact was so-confirmed by the chief Sgt. at Arms, Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes.
In case you don't know, Marcus Kindley, the former Guilford County GOP Chairman is running to unseat Linda Daves, a Charlotte woman who took over after the November elections.
If one is to judge by the number of signs and stickers, support is evenly split between the two candidates here - even among delegates from Guilford County which sent 74 delegates to the convention.
Barnes isn't saying who he's voting for, but some other Guilford County are wearing their loyalties on their sleeves, or sweaters, of whatever.
"She's a very fair-minded person," said Mary Rakestraw, a former Guilford County Commission who is backing Daves. When I asked if there wasn't some home-town loyalty for Kindley, she said, "If there had been on the part of our former chairman, maybe there would be now."
On the flip side is Christine Jones, a Greensboro woman who first got involved in party politics in 2004. Kindley was the county chairman when she first got involved.
"He really reached out to the volunteers," Jones said. She said that in Republican circles, the election of a new chairman has been a hot topic, especially in Guilford County.
"There is a division in Guilford County," Jones said, but couldn't explain it.
As of 2:16 p.m., the folks running the convention just announced there were 855 delegates and eight alternates and things appear to be poised to get under way.
Will report in later.