HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — The election of conservative judges is of critical importance in preserving freedom — not only in North Carolina, but throughout the United States as well — self-billed “conservative judge” Craig Collins told the Henderson County Republican Men’s Club during an Aug. 9 early-morning breakfast meeting at American Legion Post 77 here.

The meeting drew about 50 members and their guests.

Besides Collins’ keynote address, the meeting included a brief speech by Rudd W. Orr, who is running for the District 3 seat on the Henderson County Board of Commissioners — and an update on club and party activities and business details. (See other story on this website for Orr’s speech and other details.)

Collins is a superior court judge from Gaston County, who is running for a judgeship on the North Carolina Court of Appeals. 

Collins noted that he is part of a slate “of four conservative judges running for election to state judgeships. The others, who were not present at the Hendersonville meeting, include N.C. Rep. Sarah Stevens, who is seeking a seat on the N.C. Supreme Court; and Matt Smith and George Bell, each of whom is running — as is Collins — for judgeships on the N.C. Court of Appeals.

Earlier, HCRMC Chairman Bruce Hatfield introduced the meeting’s keynote speaker, after which Collins said, “Today, conservative judges are more important in our nation than ever. Across our nation, these issues are going to be in our courts.

“We need to be sure we elect judges who will uphold the principles of law and order and respect victims’ rights...”

“We also need appellate judges who will empower the lower level judges and the legislature to follow the law....”

The judge added, “In 2025, people identify with whoever they want to be. And it’s not just the left that does that… The good thing about our team (slate) of candidates is you don’t have to worry about that...”

Then, Collins quoted from Deuteronomy 16:19, which states the following:

“You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.”

Also, he quoted from Deuteronomy 16:20, which states the following:

“Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land which the Lord your God gives you.”

To that end, Collins asserted, “We need judges who understand that our form of government requires that we follow the Constitution and protect our rights...

“I used to be called a ‘conspiracy theorist’… It wasn’t too long ago that we had a virus (COVID-19) and we all took precautions, but the Constitution doesn’t say there’s an exception for a pandemic,” such as banning freedoms, including church attendance.

“We can also look at our opponents…” who stipulated that “you have to stay 16 feet apart and wear a mask at all times, unless you’re a protester… and you can go to a bar or a liquor store,” but not attend church...

“So it’s vital, in my opinion, to follow the Constitution… The Constitution says what it says… The last I looked,” the Constitution is comprised of  “pieces of paper... with words on them... But the words, themselves, don’t change on their own — and they should not change on the whims of a handful of activist judges.”

Further, Collins said, “the chief justice of the (state) Supreme Court  (Paul Newby, a Republican) — he won by 401 votes. That’s basically four votes per (North Carolina) county.” (Newby beat Cheri Beasley, a Democrat, in the race.)

Collins added, “This past election, my good friend (judge) Jefferson Griffin (a Republican) ran a good campaign” for the N.C. Supreme Court, but “he lost (to Allison Riggs, a Democrat) by less than eight votes per (N.C.) county that cost us that race...” (Griffin lost to Riggs by 734 votes.)

“So you need to help your county deliver votes. Literally, the future of our state is in balance,” Collins said. “We need our red counties to win by more — because our blue counties are losing by less.”

“Those (redrawn) maps resulted in an additional three Republican seats. That made the difference between” following the agenda today of  Donald Trump, instead of Kamala Harris.

“I’ve enjoyed watching the Republican majority, by the slimmest of margins,” make major positive changes for the nation. “We took the majority for the first time in 140 years — and redrew the maps.

“In the blue states, they are so gerrymandered that you can’t increase them (the elected Democrats).

“There’s a belief that he (Griffin) lost the race by $30,000. That, again, is how close the races are,” implying that $30,000 more in campaign spending would have enabled him to garner sufficient votes to win the election.

In noting that it requires a lot of time and costs much money to run for a judgeship on the N.C. Court of Appeals, Colliins asked those who support his viewpoints not only to vote for him in the next election, but also to consider sending him campaign donations online at www.VoteCraigCollins.com.

Collins then warned, “In two election cycles, they (the far-left dominated Democrats) could take back the courts, just in time for the census. And their activist judges might say, ‘You know what, we’re just going to rewrite the law for you.’

‘We’ve committed to an 18-month campaign. I think this is 22 counties I’ve visited so far…. You (the voters) must make sure our judges are conservatives...”

An unidentified woman asked, “How many openings are there for the judgeships?”

“On the (state) Supreme Court, currently there are seven seats,” with one seat (held by Anita Earls, a Democrat) open for the Nov. 3 partisan election, Collins replied. 

“Then there are 15 seats (judgeships) on the Court of Appeals,” with three seats open” and the GOP holding the 12 seats that are not open, “so we (Republicans) have the opportunity to hold all 15 seats!”

HCR Men’s Club member Joe Guy then mused aloud the following over an assertion that Collins had made earlier in his address:

“Three votes per precinct in District 11 (which includes most of Western North Carolina) — and Jefferson Griffin would have been sitting in the Supreme Court right now...”

Agreeing with Guy’s calculations regarding Griffin’s razor-thing loss in his run for election as chief justice of the N.C. Supreme Court, Collins concluded his remarks by emphatically reiterating the following:

 “I do believe not just the future of North Carolina, but the future of our nation depends on these (upcoming) elections.”