Former North Carolina Lieutenant Governor and Congressman Jim Gardner announced his endorsement of E.C. Sykes for North Carolina Secretary of State.

 

“In my years, I’ve seen many Republican candidates come and go, all claiming to be leaders of a movement and only some who actually demonstrate it. There’s no question in my mind that E.C. Sykes will prove to be the latter,” said Gardner. “The North Carolina values that E.C. has built his campaign on are a refreshing return to the ideals that made North Carolina into what it is today—the best state in the country to do business, raise a family, and build a life. They are exactly what we need to reach our full potential and continue moving the ball forward when it comes to ensuring a prosperous future for generations to come. E.C. has my full-fledged support and I would encourage every other conservative to join me in supporting his candidacy.”

 

A native North Carolinian, Jim Gardner served as U.S. Representative from 1967 to 1969 and as the state’s 30th Lieutenant Governor from 1989 to 1993. In 2013, Gardner came out of retirement in order to serve the state once more when he was appointed as Chairman of the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission by Governor Pat McCrory. He is widely known as one of the few and revered “elder statesmen” in North Carolina politics.

 

“I am humbled to have the support of such a statesman like Lieutenant Governor Gardner. No stranger to adversity, Jim entered politics by defeating a 30-year Democratic incumbent, reminiscent of what we are going to accomplish in this race by defeating Elaine Marshall,” said Sykes. “Jim has been a leader on the forefront of conservatism for over 5 decades—since the days when the Republican Party barely existed in North Carolina. His efforts to advance our shared values are unparalleled. I am honored by his endorsement and promise that I will continue to rely on him for his wisdom and advice as we transform the Secretary’s position here in North Carolina.”

 

Lieutenant Governor Gardner joins several other locally and nationally known conservatives who have signed onto the Sykes campaign, including constitutional scholar Kelly Shackelford and many others from every part of North Carolina.