By Miles Layton

COLUMBIA — Chowan County Commissioner and retired Lt. Colonel Tony Shaffer didn’t mince words Monday evening at Stick Burning BBQ in Columbia, delivering a wide-ranging address to the Tyrrell County Republican Convention that touched on local politics, national policy, and active military operations in the Middle East.

Shaffer, a decorated intelligence officer and author who now serves on the Chowan County Board of Commissioners, wasted no time setting a combative tone for the evening. 

Much of Shaffer’s most pointed commentary was reserved for two Democratic candidates he said are challenging Republican incumbents in Chowan County — and whose qualifications and claims he called into serious question.

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Shaffer turned first to the race for Chowan County Sheriff, where he said Kristy LaLonde, a drug counselor and behavioral health specialist, is challenging the Republican incumbent, Scooter Basnight, a longtime law enforcement officer.

“In summary, she is a social justice warrior,” Shaffer said flatly. “I don’t think that makes you qualified to be the senior law enforcement officer in the county.”

Shaffer recounted a recent county commissioners’ meeting in which LaLonde appeared before the board to complain that the county’s ongoing property reassessment amounted to taxation without representation—a reference to Revolutionary War-era grievances. See our story here.

“She said this right in front of the people who are representatives of the people of the county,” Shaffer said. “I am sitting there as a member of the county, and I thought while listening to this — am I taking crazy pills, to quote a line out of a movie?”

Shaffer acknowledged the public’s concern over rising property values but argued the process itself demonstrates the commission’s openness to constituent input.

“It sounded emotional. It sounded important. But it wasn’t. It was completely irrelevant by the fact that we are working through the process. We want people to be included. The very fact that she stood up and had her comment time indicates we are open to the feedback, and there are going to be a number of things that happen to make sure people have their say. Trust me, I don’t want taxes raised any more than anyone else does — I’m a Republican.”

Shaffer then shifted to the county commission race, where Democratic newcomer Kathleen Miglorie is running against his colleague, Commissioner Larry McLaughlin.

“I can only describe this person as someone who has been in the county for three years,” he said with a grin.  

He pulled from a local news article in the Albemarle Observer, quoting Miglorie’s campaign platform language: “smart growth and a better Chowan for all.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” Shaffer asked, drawing laughter. “We all fundamentally want the best for the people we are elected by. I see this from the liberals all the time — this soft language that sounds nice but means absolutely nothing. It’s vacuous.”

Shaffer then outlined what he sees as the county’s real economic assets and ongoing work: a historic city center, investment in job creation, established employers like Colonial Tire, and a strong agrarian economy.

“We have a county that’s diverse. We have agriculture. We have a city that is historic, that we’re trying to help build new jobs through investment that we’ve made. We want to have good jobs for kids to go to when they graduate from high school. We want the agrarian success of the region to continue. So the idea that somehow we’re not already working toward these goals is a bit spurious.”

Shaffer saved his sharpest rebuttal for Miglorie’s claim that the commissioners have been spending public money on “pet projects,” specifically citing Harber Town and the Confederate Monument.

“I called the county clerk today,” Shaffer said. “I asked her, ‘Did we spend any money on Harber Town?’ No, we did not. It’s not a pet project — we had nothing to do with it. As a matter of fact, most of us opposed it because we saw it as kind of a boondoggle.”

On the Confederate Monument controversy, Shaffer was equally direct.

“I don’t believe in rewriting history. We are simply trying to follow the law. That’s what we’re trying to do. Any deviations from that would cause problems not only for the local community, but you’d be going against the state — and that causes secondary problems which I just don’t think we need to bring in.”

Shaffer concluded this section with a warning about the broader pattern he sees in such candidacies.

“These things that are said have no foundation in fact, and it worries me that we have candidates stepping up to say these sorts of things that frankly just are untrue. It reminds me of how important it is that we do our best to represent the interests of the people and tell the truth as best we can.”

On Iran: Cautious Optimism, Strategic Clarity

When the Albemarle Observer asked Shaffer to weigh in on breaking developments involving Iran — referencing U.S. military operations that had unfolded in the preceding days — the former intelligence officer offered a measured but revealing assessment.

“I’m not happy anytime we have to go to war,” he said. “But something happened. An airplane left Tehran a couple of days ago and went to Pakistan. The rumor is that it was the delegation President Trump was talking to.”

Shaffer said he believes those back-channel talks may have led to the announced five-day suspension of operations — a move he said he personally advised against but is watching closely.

“I’m cautiously optimistic,” he said. “We’re not doing a land invasion. While we may use the Marines to seize some key terrain and the straits for those, we’re trying to implement something on a much larger scale than Venezuela.”

He cited a conversation with a former top Trump administration official who he said shares his overall assessment — though significant uncertainties remain.

Shaffer argued that the true strategic objective of the Trump administration extends far beyond any single theater of conflict.

“The ultimate target of all this is not Venezuela. It’s not Iran. It’s actually trying to change the way global commerce is conducted and trying to break away from global banks such as Barclays and Lloyd’s of London. That’s what President Trump is trying to do. It’s been painful to watch, but that’s what he’s trying to do. Will it be successful? At this point, I can’t judge.”

The Bigger Picture

Shaffer closed his formal remarks by drawing a direct line between political philosophy and economic performance, citing Internal Revenue Service data from 2023 showing that states that voted for Trump gained $37.2 billion in net income migration, while Harris-voting states lost $40.8 billion.

“Anybody want to guess how much money we (North Carolina) gained?” he asked the crowd. “Three point nine billion dollars.”

“Economic freedom and prosperity is becoming more and more linked to political philosophy. It is what it is. I didn’t make these stats up. And that’s why I find it frightening that we become so divided as a nation politically — because it’s reflecting in our economy.”

Shaffer ended on a note that was equal parts urgent and grounded.

“We have to actually examine why we do what we do, be good stewards of the public trust, and recognize that the other party right now just doesn’t seem to be working in a direction that’s positive for the interest of the American people.”

Then, with characteristic candor, he added: “I thought of this over smoking cigars. That’s true — that’s what I’m going back to do right now.“​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​