Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Jeff Phillips might not be running for reelection to his District 5 commissioners seat next year; however, on Friday, Dec. 14, Phillips made a strong public commitment to spend 2020 working hard to help elect and reelect Republicans from the president on down.
Phillips made his intention known in a Facebook post in which he also reiterated something he told the Rhino Times earlier in the week: He isn’t running for any office in 2020.
Phillips and fellow Republican, District 6 Commissioner Hank Henning, told the Rhino Times on Wednesday, Dec. 11 that neither would run for county commissioner after two four-year terms on the board that come to an end in December 2020. That news shocked a great many people.
But it doesn’t mean Phillips will be out of sight in the 2020 campaign.
“I do, however, plan to support and campaign for key Republican candidates such as Donald Trump for President of the United States (no-brainer), Dan Forest for Governor of the great state of North Carolina (desperately need his integrity and leadership in Raleigh), along with several down-the-ballot candidates at the state and local levels, including certain Board of Commissioner and Board of Education candidates,” he wrote in his Facebook post.
For Phillips’ fans, the post also offers what sounds like a strong clue that he’ll run for higher elected office in the future. He wrote, “Beyond 2020, I say this with humility and all due respect; if you are a liberal Democrat specifically representing me and my home districts in an elected capacity at the state or federal level…I would suggest that you not get too comfortable with your spot.”
He added that some people are very surprised that he would give up a “pretty certain gig without pursuing another opportunity,” but he noted that that’s exactly what he feels is the best move for himself and his family right now.
He also wrote that the last seven years on the board have been very rewarding and he wants to finish strong over the next year in his role as chairman of the Board of Commissioners.
