BY MILES LAYTON

PLYMOUTH — John Spruill has announced his plans to enter the Republican primary for District 1 State House. 

A lifelong resident of Washington County, Spruill kicked off his campaign with speeches Thursday in front of the Washington County Courthouse and at the Tyrrell County Courthouse in Columbia.

“I’m proud to announce that I’m running for the North Carolina House of Representatives to serve District 1 — a district built on hard work, faith, family, and a deep-rooted love for community,” said Spruill, a conservative Republican.

Speeches are planned for Friday at courthouses in Currituck, Dare, Perquimans and Chowan Counties. Since the Albemarle Observer has readers between Alligator and Edenton, Hertford to Currituck, more details about where to attend Spruill’s speeches on Friday in Chowan, Perquimans, Currituck and Dare counties appear later in the story. 

‘Getting The Job Done’

A Washington County Commissioner, Spruill talked about his record of public service in front a good sized crowd.    

“As a Washington County Commissioner, I’ve never just sat in meetings. I’ve delivered results,” he said. “That’s the kind of leadership I’ll bring to the State House — committed, grounded, and focused on getting the job done.”

Introduced by District 1 GOP District Executive Committee member Jonathan Sawyer IV, captain at the Roper Volunteer Fire Department, Spruill said he helped implement a strategic plan to guide the County’s growth and partnered with local leaders to form an Economic Development Council. County hired a dedicated director “to make job creation a priority — not just a promise.”

The new Washington County School, which combines former elementary and high schools, opened its doors in January to a new generation of Panthers. The county also constructed a new 911 center.    

“With my background in construction, I provided oversight and input on an $80 million school consolidation project, airport improvements, and the construction of a new emergency services and 911 center,” Spruill said.  

A fiscal conservative, Spruill kept a tight line on the county’s spending.  

“We kept our budget balanced and passed a ¼ cent local sales tax to avoid raising property taxes,” he said.  

For more than three years, Spruill has served as chief of the Roper Volunteer Fire Department — after nearly three decades of service. 

“I helped secure a congressional appropriation for a new fire truck, a USDA loan and grant package to modernize our station, and new equipment to make our firefighters safer and our community stronger,” he said.  

Campaign Priorities

Knowing the needs of Eastern NC, Spruill said if elected, his priorities would be affordable housing, providing access to dependable transportation, bringing affordable health care closer to home, and reducing food insecurity – making sure no one is hungry. He also wants to improve infrastructure that provides clean water, reliable internet, and good infrastructure. While in Raleigh, Spruill said he would be a strong advocate for law enforcement, quality public education and spur job growth. 

Spruill will be a friend to farmers by pursuing policies that make it easier to be in business, perhaps to pass that farm to the next generation of family farmers.    

“Our farmers aren’t asking for handouts — they’re asking for a fair shot,” he said. “A chance to make a living, pass down what they’ve built, and continue feeding this state and this country. I’ll stand with them — every single time.” 

Fired up to serve and bring change to Eastern NC, Spruill asked voters to send him to Raleigh — “I’ll go to work making things happen for Eastern North Carolina. This campaign isn’t about me — it’s about us. It’s about every family who still believes in that promise: that if you work hard, you can live with dignity, raise a family, and enjoy the blessings of freedom.”  

Spruill’s campaign speech is included at the end of this article.  

Friday, June 13 – Multi-County Announcement Tour

Dare County

Location: Dare County Courthouse

Time: 11:00 AM

Address: 962 Marshall C Collins Dr, Manteo, NC 27954

Currituck County

Location: Currituck County Courthouse

Time: 2:00 PM

Address: 2801 Caratoke Hwy, Currituck, NC 27929

Perquimans County

Location: Perquimans County Courthouse

Time: 4:00 PM

Address: 128 N Church St, Hertford, NC 27944

Chowan County

Location: Chowan County Courthouse

Time: 5:30 PM

Address: 101 S Broad St, Edenton, NC 27932

Spruill’s Speech in Washington County

Hello everyone — welcome! I’m so glad to see so many friends, family, and neighbors here today, and if we haven’t met yet I can’t wait to do so. I’m excited to be with you, and even more excited to share some important news — not just for me, but for all of Eastern North Carolina.

I was born and raised right here in Eastern North Carolina — in Roper, Washington County, on West Mill Pond Road. I’ve called that same road home for 53 years. Twenty-three years ago, I married my beautiful wife Terri, and we moved into my grandparents’ home — a place they purchased back in the 1940s. That’s where we raised our four kids, and today, it’s where we’re watching our family grow. We have two wonderful grandchildren — and three more on the way. Life is full, and so is our home.

For nearly 30 years, I’ve served as a volunteer firefighter in Roper. It’s a life of service — not for recognition, not for pay — but because when the call comes, you go.

Whether it’s the middle of the day, during a family holiday meal, or deep in the night — when those tones drop and someone’s world is suddenly turned upside down, you respond. Because someone’s in trouble. Maybe they’ve had a wreck. Maybe their house is going up in smoke. Maybe their life is hanging in the balance.

That instinct — to serve, to show up, to help people through their worst day — is something I carry with me always. And right now, I hear the tones dropping again — this time for Eastern North Carolina.

Too many of our neighbors are struggling to make ends meet. They’re working hard, playing by the rules, but still can’t afford a decent home, a reliable car, a trip to the doctor, or groceries that fill the table. I hear those tones — and I’m answering the call. I’m stepping up to serve — this time, in Raleigh.

I’m John Spruill, and I’m proud to announce that I’m running for the North Carolina House of Representatives to serve District 1 — a district built on hard work, faith, family, and a deep-rooted love for community.

Now, I want to take a moment to tell you why I’m running — not just what I want to do, but why I feel called to do it.

As a Washington County Commissioner, I’ve never just sat in meetings. I’ve delivered results. 

I helped implement a strategic plan to guide our growth and partnered with local leaders to form an Economic Development Council. 

We hired a dedicated director to make job creation a priority — not just a promise. With my background in construction, I provided oversight and input on an $80 million school consolidation project, airport improvements, and the construction of a new emergency services and 911 center. 

We kept our budget balanced and passed a ¼ cent local sales tax to avoid raising property taxes.

I’ve led the Roper Volunteer Fire Department as Chief for the past three years — after nearly three decades of service. 

I helped secure a congressional appropriation for a new fire truck, a USDA loan and grant package to modernize our station, and new equipment to make our firefighters safer and our community stronger.

That’s the kind of leadership I’ll bring to the State House — committed, grounded, and focused on getting the job done.

Eastern North Carolina doesn’t need more politics — we need progress. I want to facilitate the opportunity for every citizen to live the American Dream. 

That means:

• Safe and affordable housing that working families can afford.
  • We’re not talking about more government programs. We’re talking about opportunity — the ability for a young teacher, a first responder, or a family starting out to afford a home of their own. We need to incentivize smart development, cut unnecessary regulations, and support local builders so they can create housing that working people can afford. When people can buy a home and put down roots, communities thrive.

• Access to dependable transportation — because a good job is no good if you can’t get there.
  • In Eastern North Carolina, we have too many workers who are cut off from opportunity simply because of lack of reliable transportation or deteriorating infrastructure. We need to invest in better-maintained roads, support regional transit options where needed, and ensure that rural areas aren’t left behind when it comes to connectivity and mobility.

• Food security for children, seniors, and working parents alike.
  • No one in our state — especially not in a region as rich in farmland and natural resources as ours — should have to wonder where their next meal is coming from. We need to support our local farmers and food systems, strengthen food pantries, and work with churches and community groups to close the gaps. A strong community makes sure no neighbor is left hungry.

• Affordable healthcare access close to home.
  • Healthcare shouldn’t be a luxury. It shouldn’t mean a two-hour drive or a long waitlist just to see a doctor. We need to work toward practical solutions that expand services in rural hospitals, attract new healthcare professionals to our region, and make preventative care more available — especially for seniors and families with young children.

• Clean water, reliable internet, and good infrastructure.
  • These aren’t luxuries — they’re essentials. Whether it’s replacing outdated water systems, expanding broadband in rural pockets, or investing in storm resiliency and modern utilities, we have to build the backbone that supports quality of life and economic growth. Eastern NC can’t attract new industry or keep young families here if we’re stuck with 20th-century infrastructure in a 21st-century world.

• Law enforcement and emergency responders fully supported, not second-guessed.
  • As a firefighter and fire chief, I know firsthand what it means to serve — and how critical it is that our first responders have the equipment, training, and respect they deserve. We need to support our law enforcement officers, EMS workers, and firefighters — not with slogans or speeches, but with real funding and real trust. Safe communities start with strong support for those who protect them.

• Access to quality public education is for every child
  • Education is the great equalizer — the foundation that gives every child a fair shot at success, no matter where they’re born or how much their parents make. We must support our teachers, modernize our schools, and ensure that every student — from rural crossroads to coastal towns — has access to the tools and opportunities they need to thrive. When we invest in education, we invest in the future of Eastern North Carolina.

• And most of all: jobs — real jobs — that give our people the chance to grow and provide.
  • Economic opportunity has to be more than a press release. It has to mean site preparation, job training, business incentives, and removing the barriers that prevent growth. We want our young people to stay and build a future here — not leave to find work elsewhere. Whether it’s in manufacturing, maritime, tourism, agriculture, or small business — we must create an environment where opportunity thrives right here at home.

Ronald Reagan once said, “America is too great for small dreams.”

I believe in big dreams — and in removing the red tape and roadblocks that keep our people from achieving them.

I know firsthand the value of farming — not just as a career, but as a way of life.

I grew up working alongside my grandfather on our family farm until he retired. After that, I continued working with a large farming operation throughout high school and college. 

Those years taught me the value of hard work — long days, early mornings, and the deep satisfaction that comes from watching a season’s labor turn into harvest. It instilled in me a respect for the land, for the people who work it, and for the rural traditions that define Eastern North Carolina.

Farming isn’t just an occupation here — it’s the backbone of our economy, the heart of our culture, and the soul of our rural communities. Our farmers feed our families, power our local economies, and care for the land with unmatched dedication.

But today, more and more generational farm families are being pushed out — not by the weather or by competition, but by red tape and overregulation. From environmental restrictions that ignore common sense, to tax burdens that penalize family inheritance, government has made it harder — not easier — for young people to stay on the farm.

We need to reverse that trend. That means:

• Eliminating burdensome regulations that hurt farmers without delivering real environmental benefits.
• Ensuring fair tax policy so land stays in the hands of families, not in the hands of developers or government.
• Supporting ag innovation and increasing access to capital for the next generation of farmers.
• Standing up to federal overreach that places out-of-touch bureaucracy ahead of boots-in-the-soil experience.

Our farmers aren’t asking for handouts — they’re asking for a fair shot. A chance to make a living, pass down what they’ve built, and continue feeding this state and this country. I’ll stand with them — every single time.

Here in Eastern North Carolina, faith in God isn’t just a belief — it’s a way of life. It shapes how we treat our neighbors, how we raise our children, and how we face challenges together

As an elder at Zion’s Chapel Church of Christ, I draw strength and guidance from the Bible. In the story of Nehemiah, God placed a burden on one man’s heart to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem — and despite resistance, Nehemiah stayed the course and rebuilt what others had given up on.

That’s how I see our work here in Eastern North Carolina. Our people are strong, our values are clear, but we need someone to help rebuild what’s been neglected — the opportunities, the infrastructure, the hope.

Galatians 6:9 reminds us: “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” I’m not giving up. I’m not backing down. I’m stepping up — to serve.

This campaign isn’t about me — it’s about us. It’s about every family who still believes in that promise: that if you work hard, you can live with dignity, raise a family, and enjoy the blessings of freedom.

Thomas Jefferson once said, “We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”

Robert Kiyosaki, in Rich Dad Poor Dad, said:

“There are those who make things happen, there are those who watch things happen, and there are those who say, ‘What just happened?’”

Don’t be someone who wonders what just happened. Be someone who makes things happen. You can do that by going out today and telling 10 of your friends about John Spruill — about this movement to make Eastern North Carolina a better place to live, work, and play. And then, by casting your vote — not just for a candidate, but for a cause — a cause rooted in service, community, and opportunity.

Send me to Raleigh — and I’ll go to work making things happen for Eastern North Carolina.

I’m John Spruill, and I’m ready to serve. May God bless you, and may God bless our great state.

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