“The Liberals have run North Carolina’s state government into the
ground with their incredibly wasteful spending.  Now, they want
working taxpayers to bail them out with an enormous tax increase which
they plan to pass in the dead of night.  I say enough is enough!
After the Liberal Democrats’ repeated failure to responsibly manage
our tax dollars, it is clearer than ever that we need a change in the
General Assembly,” Fetzer said.

Fetzer, a former Raleigh Mayor, sent a sharp message to the Liberal
political establishment: The Republican Party will stand up for the
working people of North Carolina now and in the future.  “I have
served as Mayor of a large city.  I have cut taxes and balanced a
budget many times.  As State Chairman of the North Carolina Republican
Party, I will hold the Liberals accountable every time they waste our
tax money and then try to rob even more from our family budgets,”
Fetzer stated.

“At 12:01 a.m., at tomorrow’s beginning, the Liberal Democrats intend
to pass a massive tax increase in the dark of night on all North
Carolinians.  But I have news for them: by tomorrow’s end, the North
Carolina Republican Party will have already begun its march to a
conservative majority of the General Assembly,” Fetzer.

Former Governor James E. Holshouser today encouraged all delegates to vote for Tom Fetzer for NCGOP Chairman.  Holshouser, a former NCGOP Chairman and legislator who was elected North Carolina’s first Republican Governor since Reconstruction, touted Fetzer’s ability to unite North Carolina Republicans in meeting the Party’s challenges ahead.

Gov. James Holshouser

“Republicans have many important races in 2009 and 2010, and our Party must be united to be victorious,” Holshouser remarked.  “I support Tom Fetzer for State Chairman because I know Tom will pull the Party together and provide excellent leadership in helping Republicans win during the next two years.”

In response, Fetzer said he was “gratified to have such a well-respected leader on his team”.  “Governor Holshouser is a man of great integrity and much wisdom.  I am honored to have him on board with my campaign and I look forward to a great victory tomorrow,” Fetzer said.

Here are a few quotes from these conservative activists:

“We believe in your proven ability to run against and defeat entrenched Democrats, your ability to be the most effective spokesperson for Republicans statewide, and the inarguable fact that you know how to raise the type of serious money we will need going forward,” said Robert Danos and Andrew Riddle, Chairman & Vice-Chairman Henderson County GOP.

“I have listened to all campaigns for months and have chosen to support Tom Fetzer for NC GOP State Chairman based on his proven abilities to lead our party into the future. This is not a time to speculate on predicted abilities,” stated Tony Wilkins, Executive Director Guilford County GOP.

“Mr. Fetzer has both the leadership skills and conservative agenda that will help paint our great state red once again. Now is the time to re-rejuvenate and re-energize our state and the Republican party, we believe that Mr. Tom Fetzer is the man to do just that,” said Alex Lewis, Chairman, ECU College Republicans

“As a young County Chairman, I am impressed by Tom’s ability to motivate and inspire Republicans of all ages and from all walks of life. We need a State Chairman who can lead from experience and by example. Tom is that leader,” wrote Alex Dale, New Hanover County Chairman.

“We are at a critical juncture for the GOP. The realities of 21st century politics necessitate a new way of doing business without abandoning our core conservative principles.  Our new state chairman must embrace new technologies, be a prolific fundraiser, and recruit candidates that can take back NC from the Democrats. I believe Tom Fetzer is the right candidate for NCGOP Chairman,” said Zeb Wright, New Hanover County Vice-Chairman.

Dot Williford, Former 1st District Chairman

Al Lytton, 2nd District Chairman

Dodie Renfer, 2nd District Vice-Chairman

Andy Koeppel, Former 7th District Chairman

John Aneralla, 9th District Chairman

Neil Moore, 9th District Vice-Chairman

Wayne King, 10th District Chairman

Susanne Sellers, 10th District Vice-Chairman

David Robinson, 13th District Chairman

Robert Simpson, Alamance County Chairman

Don Baker, Avery County Chairman

Bill Paul, Bertie County Vice-Chairman

Billy Ray Pait, Bladen County Vice-Chairman

Jason Falls, Cleveland County Chairman

Charles “Chuck” Tyson, Craven County Chairman

Jeremy Neal, Franklin County Chairman

Tony Wilkins, Guilford County Executive Director

Jason Lemons, Harnett County Vice-Chairman

Robert Danos, Henderson County Chairman

Andrew Riddle, Henderson County Vice-Chairman

Charlton Allen, Iredell County Chairman

Rudy Renfer, Former Johnston County Chairman

Fred Jarrett, Lincoln County Chairman

Rob Bryan, Mecklenburg County Chairman

Lee Teague, Former Mecklenburg County Chairman

Claire Jones Mahoney, Mecklenburg County Vice-Chairman

Alex Dale, New Hanover County Chairman

Zeb Wright, New Hanover County Vice-Chairman

Mark Edwards, Nash County Chairman

Bill Knight, Orange County Chairman

Kyle Puryear, Person County Chairman

Ginny Cooper, Pitt County Chairman

Phillip Byers, Former Rutherford County Chairman

Sheila Byers, Former Rutherford County Chairman

Pastor Jimmy Bention, Sr. Union County Chairman

Carolyn Miller, Wilkes County Chairman

Buck Newton, Wilson County Chairman

Tad Harrell, Wilson County Vice-Chairman

Alex Lewis, ECU College Republicans Chairman

(partial listing)

Please join these grassroots Party leaders and many others supporting my campaign to become your next NCGOP Chairman. Together we will raise the money, get out the message and mobilize the manpower to knock the Liberals down and win great victories in 2010!

Kieran Shanahan

Former Raleigh City Councilman Kieran Shanahan has endorsed Tom Fetzer for NCGOP Chairman.  Shanahan, an attorney who also serves as Chairman of the N.C. Property Rights Coalition, said, “I served on the Raleigh City Council while Tom Fetzer was our Mayor.  He led a conservative revolution in Raleigh which reduced taxes and privatized services.  Tom is an outstanding leader who will raise the money and build the organization the Republican Party needs to compete effectively in North Carolina.  He has proven that he is principled, articulate and ready to lead.”

In accepting Shanahan’s endorsement, Fetzer expressed his appreciation for Shanahan’s service as a City Councilman and his admiration of Shanahan’s leadership of the North Carolina Property Rights Coalition.  “I opposed forced annexation 100% of the time during my tenure as Mayor.  Private Property Rights are a bedrock of our free enterprise system, our democracy and the American way of life.  I know Kieran is an unapologetic advocate of private property rights, and I am honored that he is supporting my candidacy for Republican State Chairman,” Fetzer said.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Initially we planned to distribute this ad only via the internet,” said Fetzer.  “The response to the ad, however, has been so strong and so overwhelming that I decided to purchase television time statewide to get this important message out.”

“I believe the response has been so strong and so overwhelming because the people of North Carolina are hungry for leadership in Raleigh that will put an end to the Democratic culture of corruption,” continued Fetzer.  “The people are tired of excuses and tired of politicians who refuse to exercise the political courage necessary to clean up North Carolina’s government.”

“Governor Perdue needs to know that the people of North Carolina are watching, and that she will be held accountable for her lack of action in this most recent Democratic corruption scandal,” said Fetzer.

“Corruption in government costs more than just money, and does more than just embarrass North Carolina – corruption in government corrodes voters’ faith in their elected officials and in the institutions that are supposed to be working for them.  As a former Mayor, I have a long history of fighting corruption, and as the next Chairman of the NC Republican Party I will lead the fight to clean up Raleigh and restore faith in our government,” concluded Fetzer.

The Fetzer for Chairman campaign is pleased to announce that 23 Republican members of the North Carolina General Assembly have endorsed Tom Fetzer in his race for State Republican Chairman.  Fetzer, a former Mayor of Raleigh, was excited to accept the many key endorsements, “These legislators’ districts comprise a cross section of rural and urban areas of North Carolina, and these leaders are the best and brightest our State has to offer.  I am grateful for their strong support and as Republican State Chairman, I will work closely with them to win a Republican legislative majority in the General Assembly.”

The legislators who have endorsed Fetzer are:

Senator Austin M. Allran

Former Senate Deputy Minority Leader Tom Apodaca

Senator Harris Blake

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Pete Brunstetter

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Neal Hunt

Senator Jim Jacumin

Senator Jean Preston

Senator David Rouzer

Senator Bob Rucho

Senate Minority Whip Jerry Tillman

Former Speaker of the House Harold Brubaker

Republican Freshman Leader Representative Justin P. Burr

Former House Majority Leader Leo Daughtry

Representative Jerry Dockham

Representative Mark Hilton

Representative Bryan Holloway

Representative James H. Langdon

Republican National Committeeman Representative David Lewis

Representative Daniel McComas

Representative Grey Mills

Representative Tim Moore

Representative Efton M. Sager

Representative Ruth Samuelson

Congresswoman Sue Myrick

Congresswoman Sue Myrick, who represents North Carolina’s 9th District in the U.S. House of Representatives, has endorsed Tom Fetzer for NCGOP Chairman.  Myrick, who has compiled a solid, consistent conservative voting record in Congress since taking office 14 years ago, cited Fetzer’s “unparalleled proven conservative record” and his “remarkable fundraising success” as the main factors which motivated her to support Fetzer.

“Tom Fetzer will make an outstanding Republican State Chairman because he can raise the money our party needs to compete effectively with the Democrats,” Myrick said.  “Tom is a strong conservative who will make certain that the NCGOP continues to take a conservative stand on all the issues important to us. He has my enthusiastic support.”

In accepting Myrick’s endorsement, Fetzer stated, “Sue Myrick has been a conservative rock that Republicans in North Carolina have been able to count on throughout her career.  Her endorsement means even more to me because she is a former Mayor of Charlotte – and as a fellow former Mayor, I know that the conservative stands she took in that role were not always the easy route or the popular thing to do.  I am humbled by her endorsement.”

Members of the Fetzer for NCGOP Chairman Steering Committee fought back against the baseless smear campaign which alleges that Tom Fetzer is gay.  “The dirty tricksters are out in full force to run down a good man’s reputation,” said former Congressman Bill Cobey.  “It offends me that people would spread lies about Tom.  I have known Tom for over 25 years and I know him to be an honest, moral person.”

Former State Senator Fred Smith echoed Cobey’s sentiments.  “Our Party has an opportunity to elect a strong leader who has all the skills to lead us to victory.  With the future of our Party on the line, we cannot be distracted by outrageous lies and petty personal attacks.  I am more committed than ever to helping elect Tom Fetzer as our State Chairman.”

Richard Vinroot, former Mayor of Charlotte, decried the cowardice of those responsible for authoring the libelous letter about Fetzer.  “It takes guts to stand up and run for a Party leadership post – a heck of a lot more guts than it takes to anonymously write lies about someone.  Tom Fetzer is a man of true character, he is my friend, and I am confident he will be one of the best State Chairmen to have ever led our Party.”

The Fetzer Campaign continues to build momentum at the race enters its final weeks.  “As I travel across North Carolina, I consistently hear that our grassroots activists want a leader who will stand up and fight the Liberals.  As your State Chairman, our Party will raise the money we need to compete with the Democrats, we will out-organize them and we will unabashedly stand up for our conservative values.  This is the winning formula for electoral success – and when I’m Chairman, we will make that success a reality,” Fetzer said.