Three days after the Johnston County Republican Party announced that Butler Hall of Four Oaks had withdrawn from the race for the Johnston County Board of Education, Hall says that simply is not true.
“I have not withdrawn from the school board race,” Hall told WTSB News and JoCoReport Monday afternoon.
On Friday, GOP Party Chairman Darryl Mitchell emailed a statement to WTSB stating that Hall had withdrawn from the race.
The email also stated, “Mr. Hall offered no explanation for his withdrawal from the race, and declined the JCGOP’s request for a public statement to inform voters of his decision.”
Hall said he was out of state on Friday and began receiving phone calls about our news report indicating he had withdrawn. Hall says the statement from GOP Chairman Mitchell is inaccurate.
“I spoke by telephone with the party chairman several weeks ago, maybe three weeks ago,” Hall told WTSB. “I told him I had contacted the (Johnston County) Board of Elections about having my name taken from the ballot and was told they would have to check with Raleigh and get back with me. Later that same day I was informed that Raleigh had said there was no way to remove my name from the ballot at this point in time.”
“I had conversations with three family members and two board members and told them I had tried to have my name taken from the ballot and was told I could not, but I would not be doing debates, forums, festivals or parades or any of those campaign-type events.”
“As far as I am concerned that does not say anything about me withdrawing from the race. The fact that my name is on the ballot and I can’t get it off speaks to that. Speaking with the party chairman I told him I was not withdrawing from the race and I was not making any announcement to that effect.”
“The chairman may have misunderstood what I was telling him about my campaign. I was not withdrawing from the race. I’ve never said that to anybody and considered that to be an option. I am sorry for the misunderstanding but it’s not my misunderstanding.”
Asked whether he wanted voters to cast a ballot for him on November 6th, Hall replied, “I would encourage the people to vote for the school board candidates on the ballot they feel like will be the best members of the Johnston County Board of Education.”
Hall did confirm he has returned all campaign contributions he has received for the 2018 election.
Another school board candidate, Jimmy Clapp of Smithfield, did withdrawn from the race last month after accepting a job in Carteret County that will require him to relocate.
Mitchell, the Republican party chairman, told WTSB News that the 2018 Johnston County GOP Voter Guide has already been printed. The Voter Guide endorses 3 other candidates for school board (pictured right). The names of Clapp and Hall are marked out with the words “Candidate Withdrawn” beside their names.
The GOP has not yet responded to Hall’s statement on Monday.
Hall has been a member of the school board since 2006.
