Newsletter - Volume 17

Sunday, December 14, 2025

D10 Executive Committee meets

to discuss 2026 elections

April Underwood, Secretary; Guistino Capodilupo, General Counsel; Alex Nelson, Chair

The 10th District Executive Committee met, last weekend, and took significant steps in preparation for the 2026 elections. There were 24 out of 40 members in attendance.

Resolution in Support of Amendment to House Bill 40 and Bail / Pretrial Release for rioting and looting.

The committee met at the Hilton Garden Inn, in Mooresville, and unanimously passed a Resolution in support of an amendment to House Bill 40 and a state statute that determines bail and pretrial release for rioting and looting.

The resolution calls for the following:

A mandatory 48 hour hold for agitators, participants, and for failure to obey the demands of law enforcement officers to disburse.
Mandatory 10-day restraining order upon defendants release:
Conditions of release ordered by a judge:

10th District Precinct Organization Incentive Program

Additionally, in preparation for the 2026 elections, the committee voted unanimously to establish a Precinct Organization Incentive Program to help motivate the county GOP organizations to recruit as many volunteers as possible to assist with Get Out the Vote efforts and other election related work that leads to success in 2026.

The program was proposed by 1st-Vice Chair and District Precinct Organization Chair Ken Raymond. The program will work as follows:

Immediately after the holidays, each county chair, or their designee, will commit to working a minimum of two-hours a week using GOP Data Center to recruit new volunteers. The chairs, or their designee, will also compel their precinct chairs to do the same thing within their voting precincts each week.
The names and contact information, along with a valid email address, will be submitted to the 1st-vice chair regularly, who will check the names with the list of delegates that attended the 2025 county conventions within each county. If the names cannot the found on the 2025 list of delegates, that person will be deemed a new volunteer.
Using the number of registered active Republicans for each county as a base, the county that recruits the highest percentage of new volunteers by Thursday, October 15, 2026, the beginning of early voting for the General Election, will receive a donation not to exceed $3,000 from the committee.

"We need to build an army of volunteers within each of our counties and it starts with us and our precinct chairs, " Raymond said during the meeting. "Nothing less than a fully trained, fully equipped, army of volunteers is going to provide the manpower to do what must be done next year."

Volunteer Spotlight:

Deby Thornburg, Catawba GOP 2nd Vice Chair

By Ben Devine, Chair

Catawba County GOP

A leading voice for Election Integrity in the landscape of conservative grassroots leadership in Catawba County very few names stand out
as prominently as Deby Thornburg.

Deby Thornburg is driving force behind local election integrity efforts, and has built a reputation as a determined organizer, an effective communicator, and a trusted partner within the Republican Party.

Deby first stepped onto the political stage four years ago as the co-founder of Patriots United of North Carolina, a grassroots organization formed in response to concerns surrounding the 2020 election. Under her leadership, the group quickly made Election Integrity its central mission.

Since 2021, Patriots United of North Carolina has become widely recognized for its extensive work promoting election transparency and security throughout Catawba County.

One of Deby’s early contributions was helping reintroduce conversations with candidates during the primary season—an effort that reconnected conservative voters with the candidates seeking to represent them. This initiative strengthened the dialogue between the grassroots community and prospective officeholders, setting a new standard for local political engagement.

Over the years, Deby has cultivated strong professional relationships with conservative activists, Republican leaders, and elected officials across North Carolina. Her collaborative approach has been instrumental in aligning grassroots energy with the goals of the Republican Party.

A notable result of this partnership was the successful return of hand-marked paper ballots—widely regarded by election-security advocates as a gold standard—to all Catawba County voters during early voting.

Deby’s impact extends beyond advocacy. For the last two election cycles, the Catawba County Republican Party entrusted her with the critical task of training and deploying Republican Poll Observers. Under her direction, the number of trained observers more than doubled, enabling
coverage of 95% of early-voting shifts across a 17-day period. Her organizational skills and commitment ensured that Republican voters had a strong and consistent presence at the polls.

Her proven record has led many local conservatives to view her as one of the most qualified and experienced individuals in the county on matters of election security.

In the eyes of many, Deby Thornburg represents the blend of grassroots passion, strategic collaboration, and hands-on experience that continues to shape the future of the Catawba County Republican Party.

By Sean McGowan, Chair

Iredell County GOP

Candidate Filing for 2026 started last week and ends Friday, 12/19 at noon.

We appreciate those running for reelection as well as those running for the first time! Our club meetings and Executive Committee meetings are great for candidates to attend, ask questions, and present their vision for Iredell County.

Although we may have multiple Republicans running from local to state to federal races, let's remember that service to one's neighbors and country includes conducting ourselves with grace and humility. Please reach out!

Iredell clubs will resume their normal schedule in January, and look for special event forums and volunteer trainings to be announced in January and February, leading up to the March 3rd primary.

The Republican Women of Lake Norman meet the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm in Mooresville.

The Iredell Republican Men's Club meets the second Saturday at 8am in Troutman.

The Iredell Republican Patriot Men meet the second Thursday in Statesville and the third Thursday in Mooresville, both at 7pm.

The Iredell County Republican Women's Club meets the fourth Thursday at 7pm in Statesville.

The Iredell County GOP Executive Committee meets the fourth Monday at 7pm in Statesville.

2026 Candidate filing

well underway!

While most normal people are trying to do their Christmas shopping and plan for holidays, candidate filing for thee 2026 elections has begun. And that means those of us abnormal political activists are watching very closing and visiting the BOE's website, everyday, who has filed to run in 2026.

10th Congressional District

10th District Republican Congressman Pat Harrigan is being challenged by Matthew Sin, from Winston-Salem, in the primary.

Little to nothing is known about Matthew Sin. He has not been active in the Forsyth County GOP and appears to have not developed a significant internet presence at this time.

Forsyth County

Many Forsyth County voters are watching to see who is signing up to run for Forsyth County School Board to help with their financial crisis and deal with issues such as the recent school stabbing.

In District 2, incumbents Robert Barr, Steve Wood, and Susan Miller are running for reelection. They're sharing the ballot with Zachary Hubbard, Jill Nelson Berlin, Tracy Lesser, Derrick Hinson, and Allen Daniel. There are only four seats available, in District 2, during the General Election.

There are three At-Large seats available and so far, Michael Quinoes and Jason Lucero are running at large.

Mike Klinetobe is running in District 1, which is heavily Democrat.

Catawba County

In Catawba County, D10 Finance Director Tom Dees has filed to run for Catawba County School Board.

"I'm running because I believe our schools deserve a board member that understands the realities of the classroom and fights tirelessly for the resources that empowers students, teachers, and families," Dees said in a press release.

"From enhancing curriculum standards to ensuring transparent budgeting I will work everyday to put students first and to move the board in a more conservative direction with a keen focus on policy initiatives prioritized by the Catawba County Republican Party," Dees added.

Other Republicans that have filed to run next year, so far, are as follows:

Catawba County Commissioners
Incumbent- Cole Setzer
Sherry Butler
Jay Moore
Dave Fontana
Eric Dunn

NC House
Incumbent- Mitchell Setzer District 89
Incumbent- Jay Adams District 96

NC Senate
Incumbent- Mark Hollo District 45

District Attorney
Incumbent- Scott Reilly
Adam Everett

Clerk of Courts
Incumbent- Kim Sigmon
Patty Cook

Sheriff
Incumbent- Don Brown
J.D. Slape

Catawba County School Board
Incumbent- Tim Settlemyre
Greg Whitener
Matthew Fox
Tom Dees

Newton Conover School Board
Incumbent- Tim Hayes
Jennifer Canrobert

Hickory City School Board

Incumbent- Amanda McGuire

Candidate Filing for 2026 Elections ends on Friday, December 19th, at noon.

UKraine: The COST OF WAR WITHOUT A PLAN

The corruption inside Ukraine is no longer a rumor. More than $360 billion has flowed into that country since 2022, and now Zelenskyy’s inner circle is being tied to a theft operation so large it’s hard to comprehend. A chief of staff doesn’t siphon off $100 million on his own, and no credible observer can possibly think the president was unaware.

This is what happens when the world funds a war on emotion instead of intellect. There was never a plan to win, and there has never been accountability. As someone who has lived the consequences of bad strategy, I take our national security seriously. Americans deserve leadership that protects their families, not politicians who treat foreign aid like a blank check to feed a meat grinder.

Peace is now within reach between Russia and Ukraine, and it reflects a reality President Trump has understood from the beginning. Honest diplomacy and clear-eyed leadership create the conditions for peace, not blank checks and wishful thinking.

FIGHTING CARTELS

I joined Dan Ball on One America News to talk about the Venezuela boat strike and the broader fight against the cartels. I told him exactly what I’ve said on the Hill: these narco-terrorists aren’t victims, they’re the same people who hack men apart and ship poison toward our kids. So when Democrats work to stop President Trump from shutting that pipeline down, it makes no sense.

Dan also asked about Democrats pushing the idea that our military should ignore the commander-in-chief. I told him that only confuses our troops. President Trump isn’t giving illegal orders, and anyone who’s worn the uniform knows how dangerous it is to play games with chain of command. Our job is to keep Americans safe and take the fight to narco-terrorists before the poison reaches our shores