By Josh Bergeron

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

The future of Rowan County’s Republican Party will be decided on March 7.

A nominating committee will present a slate of candidates for the county’s party at a March 7 convention, according to State. Rep. Harry Warren, R-77, who’s on the nominating committee. Dr. Ada Fisher, a Salisbury resident who’s on the Republican National Committee, is the nominating committee’s second member. The Republican Party’s county convention will start at 9 a.m. on the second floor of the J. Newton Cohen, Sr. Administration Building, on West Innes Street. From 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. the Rowan Republican Party will have a registration period.

Being a registered republican with the local party is required to participate in the vote.

Warren said he’s confident the slate of candidates is the strongest ever for the Republican Party in Rowan County.

“We’ve got a slate together that will bring professionalism and expertise that will be very critical to growing the party,” Warren said.

Warren declined to provide names of people on the slate, but said the list includes four previous county chairman and “business people” from around Rowan.

In addition to the slate presented by the nominating committee, attendees could also be nominated from the floor, Warren said.

The nominating committee was picked by outgoing chairman John Leatherman, who said he’s not interested in a second term. Leatherman followed up current Chairman of the Rowan County Commissioners Greg Edds as chairman of the local party. The party’s vice-chair, Will McCubbins, has also said that he isn’t interested in another term in party leadership.

In the most recent election cycle under Leatherman’s tenure as chairman, the Rowan Republican Party picked up two seats on the Rowan-Salisbury School Board. The Rowan Republican Party spent over $2,000 on the race, which is non-partisan.

The Rowan County Board of Commissioners also remained entirely comprised of Republicans, as it was before the election.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.