Haywood County Republican Party Vs State Representative Mark Pless
- LeRoy Cossette
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
Representative Mark Pless - For Us or Against Us
A recent statement from North Carolina House District 118 State Representative Mark Pless regarding his long-standing disputes with the Haywood County Republican Party is concerning.
Representative Pless has been openly criticizing the county party, its leadership, and state of affairs for many years, describing the county party as “in shambles,” tracing its decline to the previous leadership under Kay Miller. He expressed concern over the near-election of Janet Presson as first vice chair and Sherry Morgan as second vice chair, labeling their candidacies as “scary” due to what he calls their “constant lies and conspiracies” that undermine their credibility. His statement reads as follows:
“The party is in shambles with so much infighting and turn over rates in leadership of the party. The last stability the party had was when Jeff Sellers was Chairman however that didn’t even last.
If you examine the party today it is nothing like it was when Ken was chairman. The decline began with Kay Miller and except for a brief period with Jeff Sellers it has been total chaos. The fact there were 3 different chairmen over barely two weeks is telling. Once someone steps up to hold a position within months, they get offended and resign.
The fact Janet Presson was nearly elected to 1st vice chair is downright scary. Of all the people to have chosen …Sherry Morgan is 2nd vice chair … really is that the best we can do. The constant lies and conspiracies give both no credibility.
With 7 officers today and 11 executive committee members who gets the prized seat as a county commissioner without an election? The ability to get 10 votes all but solidifies someone who should never be there.
If you remember I ask the party to put every elected republican on the executive committee and was scoffed at. The party was degrading then and now they are in worse shape.
I am optimistic that Micheal Loomis will return the party to the level we need. With the constant public attacks from Lee over not getting to be chairman again is relentless. I do not see Michael putting up with much more. I would not blame him if he quit today. His job is hard enough without this public bashing and no one will step forward to stop it.
The party has no one to attack but each other because all the elected officials have withdrawn due to the same treatment Michael is having to endure. So if anyone asks until we have a party that is unified, good precent chairs and vice chairs in the majority of the precents and leaders who will lead without attacking both members and elected officials I intend to give control to the only stable ones……. The 5 elected Republican County Commissioners.
Representative Mark Pless
Haywood County
Madison County
919-733-5732"
As can be presumed by Representative Pless' eloquently written statement, he is no friend to the county party, persistently attempting to:
Influence the Haywood County Republican Party election processes;
Denigrate individuals who are strong, Christian conservative Republican advocates who do not instantly agree with him;
Pass legislation transferring the authority to fill a vacant Board of Commissioners seat from the Haywood County Republican Party to the remaining four commissioners, that, in my opinion, was at the behest of a friend on the Board; and,
Pass legislation changing Haywood County's traditional nonpartisan municipal elections into partisan elections, contrary to the will of his constituents.
Representative Pless' stated platform did not, and does not currently, include an outline of his intention to push for legislation to change our county's election structure or the party's internal processes. These efforts, in my opinion, suggest a self-serving desire to effect changes that will benefit his and his friend's personal agendas and not the will of the residents of Haywood County, and are not aligned with the county’s best interests, suggesting an attitude of "Rules For Thee, But Not For Me."
The nature of his representation of the county party has consequences, and the tone of Representative Pless’ statement is doing the very thing that he condemns. In my opinion, his statement was hypocritical in that it mirrors the very problems he perceives are occurring within the county party:
Making public accusations against party members;
Making unfounded assumptions;
Creating further division within the county party during a period when the county party is working to rectify internal problems;
Creating division between the county party and elected Republican officials;
Attempting to dictate the county's municipal election method against the will of the people; and,
Remove the county party's traditional role in filling vacant Commissioner seats.
Representative Pless has rarely attended party meetings over the past several years, despite his vocal stance on party issues, policies, and procedures. If Representative Pless' concerns and desire to see changes within the county party are genuine, it would be incumbent upon him to attend Haywood County Republican Party meetings to voice them, so they can be debated and resolutions identified. His regular engagement with party officials and members is crucial to maintaining the party’s integrity.
Effecting the level of changes that Representative Pless advocates for will not be readily accepted, necessitating his ongoing attendance at the monthly Haywood County Republican Party meetings to keep his concerns in the forefront. An effort Representative Pless seems unwilling to invest his time in.
Granted, the challenges facing the Haywood County Republican Party are significant, but they are not insurmountable. The path forward requires:
Open communication between party members, county residents, and elected officials to address grievances, both real and perceived.
Inclusive leadership that reflects the diverse views of elected officials, party officers, party members, and the community.
Respect for voter preferences and traditions in election processes, avoiding legislative moves perceived as self-serving or biased, and doing so without his constituents' knowledge.
Active participation from all party members, those in county leadership roles, and elected party officials, to foster collaboration and the achievement of shared goals.
Representative Pless' failure to govern in accordance with the best interests of Haywood County is not just limited to his attack on the Haywood County Republican Party, but has manifested itself in his past decisions, which have negatively affected Haywood County. Such as:
Waynesville Leaders Deflect Pless Allegations That He Never Received Calls From Them Requesting Funding Assistance.
As promised, Pless strips Maggie Valley of development powers.
By: Cory Vaillancourt at the Smoky Mountain News.
Don't undermine care, angry EMS workers tell Pless.
It could be interpreted that Representative Pless' actions and statements have not and are not currently in keeping with the will and consent of those who elected him to his position of power. What is certain is that the upcoming primaries will be a critical test for all involved.
Surprised at no comments thus far. Thanks yet again for keeping us informed. Most reports/news are second hand at best and therefore from an individual's point of view should be treated with caution when passing on unconfirmed reports but the old adage, no smoke without fire, would certainly seem to be the case where Mark Pless is concerned?
The voter registration figures are very interesting, with 19K unaffiliated voters it should be obvious that Hayward GoP has a lot of work to do, and few operatives to do it with! The Republican party cannot rely on 12K democrats changing their allegiance because they finally realize their party consists of a bunch of raving lunatics, financed by the deep state, and…