In Hoke County we have 14 communities that make up the county wide area and one of the fastest growing and large population areas is the Rockfish Community. Over the last several years, members of the community have come together to form a Rockfish Community Volunteer Board that meets once a month and discusses the issues in the community. From the rise of crime, road construction and community events, this board genuinely cares about the community and wants to make it a better place.  (14 Communities In Hoke: Raeford, Rockfish, Puppy Creek, McLaughlin, Dundarrach, Stonewall, Antioch, Allendale, Blue Springs, Bowmore, Quewhiffle, Five Points, Ashley Heights, South Hoke, West Hoke and Silver City)

Larry Chason the volunteer board chair wanted to hold a Candidate Meet & Greet so that community members could hear directly from the folks who will be running for office in 2022. All known candidates who plan to run for office were invited from NC House, NC Senate, County Sheriff, County Commissioner, School Board and Clerk of Court. Nine Republican candidates showed up and three Democrat. Republicans running for office were, Beth Tanner and Warren McSweeney who are running for District Court Judge. McSweeney is currently a sitting judge in our District Court and Tanner is running for a different seat.

North Carolina Senator Danny E. Britt Jr represents Robeson and Columbus County however as of this past fall when the NC General Assembly re-drew the legislative maps, he will be representing Robeson, Hoke, and Scotland Counties. Melissa Swarbrick will be running for NC House District 48 Hoke and Scotland Counties. Stevie Joe is running for Hoke County Sheriff and has 40+ years law enforcement experience and is a retired NC Highway Patrolman. Johnny Boyles is a candidate for Hoke County Commissioner but could not be there and Hal Nunn spoke on his behalf. Stephanie Carter spoke about running for County Commissioner and she is from western part of Hoke County. David Frump also will be running for County Commissioner, and he is also from the western part of Hoke County. Chris Holland is a retired U.S. Army First Sergeant who decided to stay and raise a family in Hoke County and wants to be a County Commissioner.   LINK TO VIDEO>>>>>https://youtu.be/iWUbXQTFiyY

Hoke County was formed out of parts of Cumberland and Robeson counties in 1911 and its population was at 52,082 in 2020. Hoke County is 390 square miles and is the 67th largest county by square miles. The Median Household Income is $48,072 and the Total Housing Units is 20,083 with 17,799 households. The Median Age is 32.8 and 9.6% are Senior Citizens. Veteran’s in Hoke County make up 16.2% of it’s population and the Poverty Rate is 20.4% (keep in mind the state poverty rate is 13.6% ) so Hoke County needs to do better there. There are 448 businesses in Hoke County and our Educational Attainment is 17.7% while the state average is 32.3% and yes, WE MUST do better there. Our demographics breakdown is White 49.0%, Black/AA 35.5%, Hispanic/Latino 13.9%, American Indian 9.1%, Asian 1.5% and Other 4.5%.

Rockfish was formed before Hoke County in 1888 which was then Cumberland County.

Excerpt from the Rockfish Review on history of Rockfish:

(The Rockfish Community of Hoke County NC was formerly in Cumberland County. Rockfish was founded in 1888. When Hoke County was formed in 1911, county lines were drawn, and Rockfish fell into Hoke County. The community has a rich history that needs to be preserved. Early accounts of the Rockfish Community have been written in several books and have been documented in our state government. Some of the accounts referenced will be from the Raeford Hoke Museum book, Images of Hoke County available for $20 at the museum, Rockfish Pack and Ship and several other businesses in the community. Other books are, War of The Rebellion, Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I Vol. XLVII, Part 1-Reports, Published Under the Direction of The Honorable Daniel S. Lamont, Secretary of War and the Board of Publication, Washington DC Government Printing Office 1895. Rockfish is mentioned in the book, Sherman’s March Through The Carolina’s by John G. Barrett, The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill 1956. General William Tecumseh Sherman while making his march towards Fayetteville and Goldsboro, ordered to have the Mill known as Rockfish Mill burned to the grown. The 318-loom mill was the largest in the state. Rockfish NC is a Census Designated Place (CDP) in Hoke County, NC. The 2000 Census has Rockfish with approximately 2,353 people. The Puppy Creek Plantation was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The U.S. Census Bureau has the total area of Rockfish as 5.0 square miles. As of the 2000 Census, Rockfish had 805 households and 680 families living in the CDP. The medium house income in 2000 was $46,786. In it’s past, Rockfish was well known for Cotton, Tobacco and Bluebirds).

Since records have been kept, Democrats have controlled Hoke County. There has never been a Republican elected to county wide office. (We have come within a couple hundred votes twice recently). We got a City Counselman elected, we have elected multiple District Court Judges, most recently elected a Republican District Attorney, We have may strides in Hoke County by narrowing the disproportionate numbers of Democrats and Unaffiliated while increasing registered Republicans.  In the early 2000’s, Democrats outnumbered Republicans more than 3-1. That number is narrowing to less than 2-1. Unaffiliated voters have increased threefold in that same period. With a population 52,082 Hoke County only has 32,428 registered voters and we can do better. IN the 2020 Presidential Election, in Hoke County 2,800 registered Republicans DID NOT VOTE. If 40% of those voters voted, we would have elected 2 County Commissioners and if 65% of them voted, Donald Trump would have won Hoke County. WE MUST REGISTER VOTERS and then make sure they VOTE. REGISTER HERE> https://www.ncsbe.gov/registering/how-register

We are getting closer and closer every time and it’s not just Republican’s who want to see a change, it’s clear by the numbers going down that Democrats want to see a change in Hoke County. For far too long a small group of individuals have controlled the votes in Hoke County. (you know how they operate) For the last 15-20 years the same group of people keep getting elected year after year while problems continue to remain the same and nothing changes. VOTERS MUST search their soul and ask themselves, “Do we want to continue allowing these folks control everything we do and promise things but never come true”. Republicans in 2022 feel there is a better way to govern than cutting deals with people, so they won’t run, electing friends and family over experience and education. We need new leadership in Hoke County that has worldwide experiences that we can bring home to Hoke County and allow the county to grow with a positive light and not a negative light. (We’re proud of our county however when you leave Hoke County you always hear the negative comments about how bad things are). It’s not about the color of ones skin that matters it’s the content of their character and we believe Dr Martin Luther King was right. SEE HERE WHEN THE HOKE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY HOSTED the 2021 MLK Breakfast with Civil Rights icon Clarence Henderson and the Frederick Douglass Foundation. >>>

Take a look at things we have done in our community by clicking on the link above “LOOK BACK 2021” and don’t just believe us, look at the proof. We want UNITY and a better COMMUNITY!

Make sure you check back and we will publish our ideas and plans for Hoke County to include, Schools, Infrastructure, Recreation, Business, Industry, Seniors and more.

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