HAYWOOD PULSE
Updated November 5, 2026
Haywood Pulse
Explore essential news and stories about politics in North Carolina and Haywood County.
FLIPPER Here
"It is not the seen, but the unseen, that will move this moment in history. Not the posturing of the politicians, but the quiet resolve in the hearts of the common people, that is what will turn the tide and change our future. The power of the people is never there, until it is: then the walls are torn down and justice fills the streets." — Stephen Charleston
Where do we go from here
We have started a new four-part newsletter series that is an in-depth after action report on the election here in Haywood County. Suz is asking the hard and uncomfortable questions. We are looking for feedback—contact us at haywoodpulse@gmail.com Here is part one—to receive the rest you will need to subscribe to the newsletter.
SUZ SPEAKS
THE ELECTION IS OVER. NOW COMES THE REAL WORK.
The votes have been counted. The winners have been declared. Some candidates are celebrating, while others are facing the disappointment of an election that didn’t go their way.
But the election is not the end of the story. In many ways, it is the beginning of a much bigger conversation.
We cannot keep doing things the same way and expect different results.
It’s time for some honest conversations about the political future of Haywood County.
And those conversations need to begin with the numbers.
LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. THEY MATTER.
Haywood County has more than 48,000 registered voters. But look at how those voters are registered.
-
20,125 Unaffiliated
-
17,432 Republicans
-
10,797 Democrats
-
349 Other party registrations
Unaffiliated voters represent the largest registration group in our county. There are nearly twice as many unaffiliated voters as registered Democrats.
Let that sink in.
More than 20,000 people have chosen not to affiliate with either major political party.
Who are they? Why have they made that choice? Are they dissatisfied with both parties? Do they simply prefer to make their own decisions without a party label? What issues matter most to them?
And perhaps the biggest question: Are we doing enough to reach them?
We cannot ignore these voters. We cannot assume we know what they think or how they vote. We need to listen, engage, and understand the concerns that matter to them.
These numbers should be part of every serious conversation about the future of local politics.
HAYWOOD PULSE PRESENTS:
FOUR PARTS. FOUR IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS.
PART ONE — THE UNAFFILIATED VOTER: WHO ARE THE 20,000?
Why are so many Haywood County residents registering unaffiliated? What does that decision mean for local elections? How do we reach voters who may care deeply about their community but don’t identify with either political party?
We need to understand this growing voting population and learn how to engage in meaningful conversations.
PART TWO — WHERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS?
As poll greeters during the last two elections, we witnessed something that should concern us.
Recruiting two people to staff the Democratic table was difficult, while the Republican table often had a dozen or more volunteers gathered just steps away.
Where are our Democratic men and women? Where are our younger voices? Why are so few people willing to volunteer, organize, and participate?
We need to grow our Women Democrats, Senior Democrats, and Young Democrats. We need new faces, new energy, and people willing to step forward.
PART THREE — POLITICAL STRATEGY AND REPRESENTATION: WHAT DID WE LEARN?
The county commissioner election has given us another important conversation.
Haywood County will have a five-member Republican commission with no Democratic representation.
What does that mean for our county? What role should political endorsements play? What happens when personal friendships and political strategy collide?
How do we balance individual relationships with the larger responsibility of building political representation?
These are difficult questions, but they deserve honest answers.
PART FOUR — WHAT COMES NEXT? FROM DISAPPOINTMENT TO ACTION.
The election is over, but our responsibility doesn’t end at the ballot box.
What did we learn? What needs to change? How do we recruit volunteers, develop new leaders, strengthen our organizations, and prepare for the next election?
How do we bring younger generations into the political process and make sure they have a seat at the table?
Most importantly, how do we turn disappointment into determination?
THE NEXT CHAPTER IS OURS TO WRITE.
Haywood County doesn’t change simply because another election comes around.
Change happens when people show up. When they attend commission meetings, ask questions, volunteer, organize, support candidates, and hold elected officials accountable.
It happens when we stop relying on the same handful of people to do all the work.
We need more than election-season enthusiasm. We need year-round participation.
We need new leadership, new ideas, and a willingness to examine what worked, what didn’t, and what needs to change.
This series isn’t about pointing fingers. It’s about asking difficult questions, examining the numbers, and having conversations that may sometimes make us uncomfortable.
We invite Democrats, Republicans, unaffiliated voters, and anyone who cares about the future of Haywood County to join the conversation.
Twenty thousand unaffiliated voters. More than seventeen thousand Republicans. Nearly eleven thousand Democrats.
Those numbers represent our neighbors, our friends, our families, and the future of our community.
The election is over.
NOW LET’S GET TO WORK.
Haywood Pulse — Democracy requires more than casting a ballot. It requires showing up.
Haywood pulse Suz
Take a moment to read the quote above, from Stephen Charleston, really read it. This has been posted for months, and it has never rung truer. It is the common people who have turned the tide and are the key and will continue to be the key to the changes that are coming. Thank you, Stephen Charleston, for your insight.
The blue wave turned into the blue tsunami and we all stand a little taller and feel lighter today. But now is not the time to become complacent. It is time for the real work to begin. Remember—BUB (Big Ugly Bill) has already started affecting folks. We need to find ways at the local and state level to help our neighbors.
This is not the time to rest and sit on our laurels. This is the time that we make the change from the government working for itself to the government working for us. The letters, calls and emails to congresscritters at the state and national level carry more importance than ever. We write and call to let them know what their constituents (bosses) need. We write and call to tell them they are doing a good job. And we write and call if we see them headed in the wrong direction. This is not the time to be silent. And we tell them we want accountability not revenge.
The hardest thing, as we work hard for those who come behind us, will be patience. What has happened to our country did not happen overnight. It was planned for a long time. That means it won’t be “fixed” overnight. It means we have a long road ahead of us, but it is the road to truth and justice.
Flippers up, my friends,
Mary
From the Editor
Flipper Here
You did it!! I am riding the blue tsunami with all of you. Take a couple of days to let it soak in, then get back to work. Our country needs all of us to make this work.
Flippers up,
Flipper
It has truly been a ride on this midterm train for Suz and Mary. They remain committed to fighting for what is good and right.
Note: Suz Speaks is coming back. This is just a quick website update--it's important to stay current.
Where do we go from here
We have started a new four-part newsletter series that is an in-depth after action report on the election here in Haywood County. Suz is asking the hard and uncomfortable questions. We are looking for feedback—contact us at haywoodpulse@gmail.com Here is part one—to receive the rest you will need to subscribe to the newsletter.
SUZ SPEAKS
THE ELECTION IS OVER. NOW COMES THE REAL WORK.
The votes have been counted. The winners have been declared. Some candidates are celebrating, while others are facing the disappointment of an election that didn’t go their way.
But the election is not the end of the story. In many ways, it is the beginning of a much bigger conversation.
We cannot keep doing things the same way and expect different results.
It’s time for some honest conversations about the political future of Haywood County.
And those conversations need to begin with the numbers.
LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. THEY MATTER.
Haywood County has more than 48,000 registered voters. But look at how those voters are registered.
-
20,125 Unaffiliated
-
17,432 Republicans
-
10,797 Democrats
-
349 Other party registrations
Unaffiliated voters represent the largest registration group in our county. There are nearly twice as many unaffiliated voters as registered Democrats.
Let that sink in.
More than 20,000 people have chosen not to affiliate with either major political party.
Who are they? Why have they made that choice? Are they dissatisfied with both parties? Do they simply prefer to make their own decisions without a party label? What issues matter most to them?
And perhaps the biggest question: Are we doing enough to reach them?
We cannot ignore these voters. We cannot assume we know what they think or how they vote. We need to listen, engage, and understand the concerns that matter to them.
These numbers should be part of every serious conversation about the future of local politics.
HAYWOOD PULSE PRESENTS:
FOUR PARTS. FOUR IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS.
PART ONE — THE UNAFFILIATED VOTER: WHO ARE THE 20,000?
Why are so many Haywood County residents registering unaffiliated? What does that decision mean for local elections? How do we reach voters who may care deeply about their community but don’t identify with either political party?
We need to understand this growing voting population and learn how to engage in meaningful conversations.
PART TWO — WHERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS?
As poll greeters during the last two elections, we witnessed something that should concern us.
Recruiting two people to staff the Democratic table was difficult, while the Republican table often had a dozen or more volunteers gathered just steps away.
Where are our Democratic men and women? Where are our younger voices? Why are so few people willing to volunteer, organize, and participate?
We need to grow our Women Democrats, Senior Democrats, and Young Democrats. We need new faces, new energy, and people willing to step forward.
PART THREE — POLITICAL STRATEGY AND REPRESENTATION: WHAT DID WE LEARN?
The county commissioner election has given us another important conversation.
Haywood County will have a five-member Republican commission with no Democratic representation.
What does that mean for our county? What role should political endorsements play? What happens when personal friendships and political strategy collide?
How do we balance individual relationships with the larger responsibility of building political representation?
These are difficult questions, but they deserve honest answers.
PART FOUR — WHAT COMES NEXT? FROM DISAPPOINTMENT TO ACTION.
The election is over, but our responsibility doesn’t end at the ballot box.
What did we learn? What needs to change? How do we recruit volunteers, develop new leaders, strengthen our organizations, and prepare for the next election?
How do we bring younger generations into the political process and make sure they have a seat at the table?
Most importantly, how do we turn disappointment into determination?
THE NEXT CHAPTER IS OURS TO WRITE.
Haywood County doesn’t change simply because another election comes around.
Change happens when people show up. When they attend commission meetings, ask questions, volunteer, organize, support candidates, and hold elected officials accountable.
It happens when we stop relying on the same handful of people to do all the work.
We need more than election-season enthusiasm. We need year-round participation.
We need new leadership, new ideas, and a willingness to examine what worked, what didn’t, and what needs to change.
This series isn’t about pointing fingers. It’s about asking difficult questions, examining the numbers, and having conversations that may sometimes make us uncomfortable.
We invite Democrats, Republicans, unaffiliated voters, and anyone who cares about the future of Haywood County to join the conversation.
Twenty thousand unaffiliated voters. More than seventeen thousand Republicans. Nearly eleven thousand Democrats.
Those numbers represent our neighbors, our friends, our families, and the future of our community.
The election is over.
NOW LET’S GET TO WORK.
Haywood Pulse — Democracy requires more than casting a ballot. It requires showing up.
Haywood pulse Suz
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