[Photo: Congressman Rep. Dan Bishop speaks with HCC Pharmacist and CEO Dwight Oxendine in Raeford Tuesday as one of many stops at local businesses during a tour through Hoke County. Bishop visited Carolina Horse Park in Five Points, toured a small construction site in Raeford, met with Oxendine at the HCC Pharmacy and had lunch at Edinborough Restaurant. In the afternoon, Bishop went on to see Burlington Mills and Cross Creek Farm. The tour wrapped up with a meet and greet and dinner at the Mill Restaurant on Johnson Mill Road. Members of the Hoke County GOP, including GOP Chairman David Frump took part in the tour.]

U.S. Congressman Dan Bishop was keynote speaker at the Hoke County Republican Party annual convention Friday night at Wilburn Lofts in downtown Raeford.

Bishop spoke about the direction of the Republican Party and developments in Washington. “We are looking at the biggest border crisis possibly in 20 years because of this administration and the chaotic bad policies put forth by the majority in Washington,” he said, according to a release from the party. “What we learned under four years of President Trump is exactly what you are doing right here in Hoke is we have to fight, not for some narrow ideology, not to be unpleasant, because we stand for those fundamental ideals on which this society was built.

“We are defending the Declaration of Independence that these ideas were created by God, endowed by our creator in his image to pursue Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

“It’s a sacred battle and we will never surrender and never give up”.

Mark Robinson, the first African American Lt. Governor of North Carolina, also addressed the crowd and said, “this is a great time for us to be Republicans and we have a big opportunity with all the ridiculous things the left is doing, the hypocrisy and the moves they are making in D.C., and some at the highest level here in North Carolina, average ordinary people are getting tired of it and they are looking at the Republican party as a solution and we need to welcome them.”

Other guest speakers were Clarence Henderson of the Frederick Douglass Foundation, Judge Warren McSweeney, Matt Judge, formerly the deputy director for the state with the Trump Victory campaign, Joseph Plitt, the chairman for Scotland County GOP and Susan Mills who is running for N.C. GOP vice chair in June.

Eleven out of fifteen precincts were represented, and the party will send 29 delegates to the district and state conventions later this year.

At this convention, the party elected Chairman David Frump, Vice Chairman Chris Holland, Secretary Ed Grauke and Treasurer Mike Buzon.

The meal catered by Affairs of the Family with Betty Perkins and Krissy Small.