North Carolina Bertie County GOP issued the following announcement on July 9.
Today, hundreds of North Carolina Republicans should be descending upon Greenville to begin the 2020 NCGOP Convention at the Greenville Convention Center. However, ten days ago, Governor Roy Cooper’s administration rejected the detailed mitigation plan submitted by the NCGOP with input from highly qualified doctors and healthcare professionals that conformed to the CDC guidelines.
Instead of allowing the delegates to safely and responsibly exercise their first amendment rights, 1400 delegates will join the NCGOP virtually from their homes and county party offices tomorrow.
North Carolina Republicans are pumped up and ready to win this November, whether we have a convention or not. The truly sad thing is the dozens of small businesses in Greenville that will miss out because our convention is being forced to go virtual. Unlike the Governor, we are fully committed to the people of Greenville, and we will be back to Greenville to rally with voters to win this November.
Quotes And Statements From Today’s Participants
"We are very disappointed that we will not be kicking off the NCGOP State Convention in Greenville this evening because Governor Cooper and his administration blocked us from moving forward with the Convention despite our plans to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local guidelines and regulations has blocked Republicans from holding our most important annual event. Additionally, Greenville has been denied an economic shot in the arm which is badly needed after the lockdowns."
- NCGOP Chairman Michael Whatley
“It is unfortunate that the NCGOP is unable to hold their annual convention in Pitt county. This would have been a real shot in the arm to our community from an economic standpoint and given the attendees, both virtual and in-person, something of a respite from the daily grind of dealing with COVID-19. The NCGOP followed all public health recommendations including a virtual option that many attendees chose given their particular health circumstances as well as appropriate physical spacing, the wearing of face-covering, and an adequate number of hand sanitizing stations.
At some point, North Carolina must convert from a sprinter’s pace to a marathon pace in dealing with COVID-19. To my mind, this means we must balance all public health concerns, including those associated with social isolation, along with the education, economic and recreational opportunities our state has lost as a result of this pandemic.
A key part of finding this balance is the recognition that individuals must be given the choice to weigh the risks and benefits of participating in certain activities and trusting them enough to do so in a manner that ensures a reasonable amount of safety for themselves and their fellow citizens.”
- NC House Representative Perrin Jones MD
“I would like to express my appreciation for Greenville being selected as the host site for this year’s State Republican Convention and note that we are sorry it could not take place. The event would have had a significant impact on our city by bringing in nearly one million dollars during a time when things typically slow down in Greenville. I want to also thank all of the staff of the Convention Center and other groups that worked diligently to make the event a reality up until a final decision had to be made. It is my hope that we can work with all parties to host another event in the near future that will help us showcase all of the wonderful things happening here in the East.”
- Mayor PJ Connelly of Greenville NC
“Regardless of political opinion the businesses in Greenville, the restaurants and hotels are really missing the economic benefit that would have resulted from an in-person convention.”
- Gary Weaver Chairman of the Pitt County Republican Party
Original source: https://www.nc.gop/cooper_023
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