By Terrence Jefferies
terrence.jefferies@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — The Rowan County Democratic Party hosted its annual Family Fun Festival and Potluck on Saturday at Shoaf’s Wagon Wheel.

The event brought out various candidates running for office — from U.S. Congress to municipal office. Among the candidates were Matt Leatherman, running for state treasurer; Scott Huffman, for U.S. Congress; and Patricia Sledge, for Spencer Alderwoman.

The event, emceed by Rowan Democratic Party Chair Geoffrey Hoy, gave many local Democrats the opportunity to voice their opinion and plans for office. Each Democrat was given the opportunity to present their objectives, goals and a bit about their personal background.

While the races are nonpartisan, all municipal candidates in the county were invited to attend the event, too.

Also among the candidates were Democrats running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Candidates Erica Smith, Cal Cunningham and Trevor Fuller spoke.

“I’m grateful to be back in Rowan County and it’s great to be with you. Rowan County has a special place in my heart,” Cunningham said.

The keynote speaker for the festival was Smith.

Smith’s six-point lesson plan and platform for progress included economic expansion, environmental stewardship, education equity, equitable healthcare, equal justice/reform and re-engineering policies for progress.

“When you look at what I stand for, you see that I have my policies, and positions listed and they are fully published,” Smith said. “You have to know what your candidates stand for.”

Smith praised the Democratic Party during her speech and coined it as a group that is diverse and unified.

“Our diversity gives us strength and our unity gives us power,” Smith said. “We are together, we stand united and we will not allow the politics of today to divide us anymore. I am one of us, for all of us and we are too smart for the politics of division,” she said.

The candidate referenced loving your neighbor as yourself and goodwill unto others in her speech.

“Your neighbors are those people who work beside you everyday, who roll up their sleeves and want to attain the American dream everyday,” Smith said.

She also expressed gratitude for all elected officials who currently serve.

“As I look at this moment in our history, there has never been a more important time for us to get engaged in this process,” she said.

The festival called a kickoff for the 2020 election, as filing begins in December and the primary is scheduled in March.