West delivers emotional farewell; Pelt Warren takes chair; Spruill, Warnecki fill vacancies

By Miles Layton

WILLIAMSTON — Harvey West Jr. resigned Saturday as chairman of the First Congressional District Republican Party, delivering an emotional farewell address in which he defended his seven-year tenure, accused unnamed party members of fueling a damaging social media campaign against him, and warned that those responsible would bear the consequences if Republican candidates fall short in November.

West’s departure set off a day of rapid transition at the party’s March meeting in Martin County. Delegates elected Mary Helen Pelt Warren as the district’s new chairwoman following a two-candidate race against Michelle Nix. Later, the longtime district secretary, Lynda West, also stepped down, prompting an emergency election that placed Carol Warnecki of Dare County in that role. John Spruill was separately elected First Vice Chair by acclamation.

Why cover the First District’s convention? Because this changeover in party leadership happens in a very important election year — and after seven years as chair, Harvey West deserved a chance to say what he needed to say to our readers near and far who’ve followed his story.

West’s Resignation: ‘I’m Not Your Whipping Boy Anymore’

West gave an impassioned resignation speech before delegates gathered at the Martin County Economic Development Telecenter. His departure came amid what he described as a months-long effort to undermine him — a campaign waged on social media that he said distorted his record and misrepresented his character.

“What you see on social media and what most of you in this room know to be true are two different things,” West told delegates from the assembled congressional district, which spans multiple counties in northeastern North Carolina.

West did not detail the specific allegations against him but acknowledged that he had a criminal past — one he said was known to delegates when they first elected him and had never been concealed. And this writer is not going to relitigate that matter for this story.

“Yes, I have a past,” West said. “You in this room elected me knowing of that past. Nobody hid anything from you. Nobody lied. In the seven years that I’ve been allowed to serve as your district chair, it has been open and transparent, and the narrative that has been given over the last four months is inaccurate.”

His remarks grew pointed as he addressed those he held responsible for what he characterized as a coordinated effort to force him out. Without naming individuals, West suggested that certain party members had elevated a private matter into a public controversy — and that doing so reflected more on them than on him.

One could almost feel the tension in the room in some corners as West said, “Throwing dirt on other people is not going to clean what’s inside of you. Burning somebody else’s bridge is not going to get you anywhere any faster.”

West reserved his sharpest language for what he called rank hypocrisy among his critics. He noted that he had never sought the spotlight during his tenure, never referred to himself publicly as “the chairman,” never generated news coverage, and never used social media to promote himself.

“You have never heard me once refer to myself in public as ‘the chairman,’” he said. “You have never once seen me generate a news article. I’m a servant, and I am proud to say that I serve you and this district in the most humble and transparent way possible. Never professed to be anything other than a flawed man saved by the grace of God.”

He argued that it was his opponents, not him, who had transformed a private matter into a public crisis — and that they would be held accountable if the party’s candidates fall short in November.

“The very people who point the finger at me as being a detriment to the candidates have four fingers pointing back at them, because they made this issue first and foremost,” he said. “They put it in social media. They generated the news articles. I’m not your whipping boy anymore.”

Before stepping down, West urged members to hold future leaders accountable to the will of the membership rather than their own ambitions.

“The power of the First District lies in this room, not in who you elect as your chairman,” he said. “They need to do your will, not theirs. You are the voice, and if they do not operate in the manner which you see fit, replace them.”

He closed with a note of thanks and sorrow. “I want to thank each and every one of you for believing in me, for allowing me to serve, and for giving me your trust. I am sorry that it has come to this, and I pray that this district can move forward.”

West’s resignation drew an emotional response from delegates. Francis Pugh, a retired law enforcement officer from Pasquotank County with 45 years of service, rose to defend the outgoing chair; gave a good speech.

“This man has been condemned one time,” Pugh said. “He was young, he had a job. He was charged, he served his time, and I dare say if anything of that has affected his duties to the First District. Is there anybody in here that’s sin free? I’d like for you to stand up and state your name.”

Pugh closed with a direct word to the departing chairman: “Mr. West, you did us a good job, and I’ve looked up to you. And I’m sorry things is happening like this.”

Another delegate offered a sentiment that seemed to capture the feeling of West’s supporters in the room: “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” — GOOD QUOTE!

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Two Women Vie for the Chairmanship; Pelt Warren Prevails

With West’s seat vacant, delegates quickly turned to the question of succession. Two candidates came forward: Michelle Nix, who had been serving as chair of the Third Congressional District, and Mary Helen Pelt Warren, a veteran of First District organizing and vice chair. When votes were counted, Pelt Warren emerged as the new chair. She will serve the remainder of the vacated term through April 2027.

Nix opened her bid with a detailed programmatic vision, pressing delegates hard on the fundamentals of grassroots organizing.

“Winning doesn’t happen at the top. It happens in our precincts,” Nix told the committee. “So let me ask you — what’s happening in your precincts right now? Are you holding regular meetings? Are you hosting town halls with candidates or elected officials?”

She laid out a vision of collaborative, retail-level politics — knocking on doors, staffing festival booths, registering voters and building relationships county by county. She repeatedly invoked the word “together” as the throughline of her pitch.

“Together, we can turn this district red. Together, we can strengthen our state house and senate districts,” she said. “This is not about one person. It’s about a team. We are a team. We are the First Congressional District.”

Nix offered a recent Beaufort County example to illustrate what that teamwork looks like in practice — describing how she and others had traveled to help a county chair juggling a full-time job, party leadership duties, and family members battling cancer. “That’s what together looks like,” she said. “That’s what leadership looks like.”

Pelt Warren’s speech was shorter and struck a quieter tone — one rooted in confidence and blessedly short on a sunny Saturday.

“Many of you I have worked with for several years,” she told the room. “Everything that Michelle just mentioned is what I’ve been doing in the First District for quite a while.”

She declined to relitigate ground Nix had covered, instead directing delegates’ attention to how close the district already was to a political tipping point.

“I think that we have a chance to ultimately flip this district red,” she said. “There have been many of us who have worked together to do that — we’re this close to doing it.”

Following her election, Pelt Warren spoke with the Albemarle Observer about her priorities for the year ahead.

“My vision is to get the district organized and get everybody working in one direction, on one accord,” she said. “We have 25 counties to pull together, and we are just excited for our candidates.”

She was direct about the congressional race involving Laurie Buckhout, which surfaced in discussion during the convention.

“Laurie Buckhout almost — by the skin of our teeth — almost won in 2024,” Pelt Warren said. “And so we are going to make sure we pull her across the finish line this time. We are actively going to be raising lots of money to help her, and we’re going to make sure our volunteers are prepared for what they need to do.”

More about Buckhout will appear in a future story.

Lynda West Resigns After a Decade as Secretary

The day’s transitions were not finished. In an emotional moment that briefly halted the convention’s business, longtime Secretary Lynda West announced her immediate resignation, capping more than a decade of service to the organization. She’s a good person — I’m sad to hear the news.

Invoking a point of personal privilege, West addressed the committee with evident feeling.

“I am a former vice chair of the district and for over ten years, I have enjoyed serving as your secretary for the former North Carolina GOP First Congressional District,” she said. “It has been a great honor to be elected for this position by each of you. I value the friendships built and the progress our district has made during my time in office, and I am deeply grateful for the strong support I have received from the First District. My resignation is effective immediately. Godspeed to the First District!”

Carole Warnecki of Dare County was nominated and elected by acclamation to fill the vacant seat.

Spruill Elected First Vice Chair; Emphasizes Unity Over Infighting

Earlier in the session, before Lynda West’s announcement, the committee had also filled another vacancy — First Vice Chair — electing John Spruill by acclamation after no other nominations came forward. Spruill was not present at the meeting; he had promised his wife a trip following his recent campaign for North Carolina House District One. His remarks were read aloud on his behalf by Jonathan Sawyer, a staunch Republican from Washington County.

Spruill, who previously served the committee as both Third and Second Vice Chair before stepping down to pursue his legislative bid, cast his candidacy in terms of unity and forward momentum.

“We have an opportunity right now to move forward with renewed focus and a stronger sense of unity,” Sawyer read on his behalf. “I’m seeking your support to serve as First Vice Chairman.”

Spruill addressed the redistricting changes reshaping the district’s membership directly, framing them as both challenge and opportunity.

“With redistricting, we are welcoming new counties into our district while others transition out,” his statement read. “That means new relationships, new voices, and new opportunities. But it also requires intentional leadership to ensure that every county feels included, respected, and engaged.”

He struck a cautionary note about internal conflict, arguing that the committee’s energy should be directed outward rather than inward.

“Our priorities should be clear: the election of candidates, not engaging in infighting or internal power struggles,” his statement read. “The voters we represent expect leadership, results, and unity from us. There will be a full election of officers next year, and that will be the appropriate time for broader internal decisions. Right now we need to come together and win.”

Spruill pledged to serve as a unifying figure across the district’s member counties, promising to support every county organization and strengthen grassroots communication and coordination. “I will work to be a unifier who brings people together across counties and perspectives,” his statement concluded.

With the day’s elections complete, the outgoing chair, Mark, offered brief congratulations before turning the gavel over to Pelt Warren.

“Sadly, I think all my duties are done because all the elections are done,” he said, “and I’ll happily turn this back over to our new chair.”

The First Congressional District, reshaped by redistricting and navigating a period of leadership transition, moves into its next chapter with a new chair, a new vice chair, and a new secretary — and a shared determination, voiced by nearly every speaker across a long and eventful day, to turn Eastern North Carolina reliably red by November.

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