Most liberal NC GOP Council of State incumbent endorses liberal for another seat | Eastern North Carolina Now

In any Republican primary, you can never tell the liberals from their own campaign, because they all want to call themselves "conservatives" even if their record reflects that they are, in fact, a liberal.  Thom Tillis, for example, has done that for years.

When it comes to the GOP statewide elected positions on the Council of State, the dubious distinction of being the most liberal is even worse than liberal Catherine Truitt at DPI.  Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler first got involved in statewide politics in a liberal Democrat campaign, when he served as state chairman of "Farmers for John Edwards".  Troxler was a player in the campaign of rich liberal Democrat trial lawyer John Edwards to unseat incumbent conservative Republican US Senator Lauch Faircloth, who had been an agribusiness leader before his election to the US Senate.

Since becoming "Republican" Agriculture Commissioner, Troxler has frequently been at odds with gun rights supporters.  Troxler faces his own primary this year from conservative farmer Colby Hammonds.

Troxler is also trying to get more liberal GOPers on the Council of State. He recently did a postcard endorsing Jon Hardister, one of the most liberal Republicans in the NC House for the open seat of Commissioner of Labor.  Hardister's voting record includes support of NC's Green New Deal which is already raising our electric rates, the Obamacare Medicaid expansion, and allowing biological men into womens restrooms and locker rooms, yet he tries to tell voters he is a "conservative".

Hardister has three more conservative opponents on the ballot for this open seat where the incumbent is retiring. By far the strongest of them is conservative and experienced labor lawyer Luke Farley, who is endorsed by long-serving conservative former GOP Commissioner of Labor Cheri Berry.

Farley has a wide range of support in Beaufort County from major elements of the party.  He has been endorsed by both State Rep. Keith Kidwell and by the Beaufort County Conservative Republican PAC headed by Commissioner Hood Richardson.