RALEIGH — Three of the top Republican elected officials in the state spoke ahead of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin at the 2025 NCGOP Convention earlier this month in Greensboro.
Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden), Labor Commissioner Luke Farley and State Auditor Dave Boliek each gave remarks touting their various wins and activities this year. Berger and Farley spoke for around 10 minutes each, while Boliek’s remarks ran for about 25 minutes.
Berger emphasized a conservative agenda aligned with President Donald Trump’s America First policies, focusing on actions taken since Republicans gained control of the legislature in 2010.
“We cut taxes for every single family in this state. We’ve provided school choices for every single family and every child in this state,” said Berger, outlining actions aligning with the Republican North Carolina First Agenda. “We supported the police, honored our veterans, cracked down on criminals, and prohibited sanctuary cities and jurisdictions.”
Berger also underscored examples of Republicans defending “commonsense” values.
“We’ve defended values rooted in good North Carolina common sense,” said Berger. “Values like keeping boys out of girls’ sports. Values like the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms. Values like protecting the unborn. And values like securing the vote and ballot box with photo ID.”
The Senate leader discussed more recent actions, including the passage of the DAVE Act, a state version of the Save Act, which aims to address corruption and waste. He also spoke about supporting Trump’s energy policies and enacting the North Carolina Border Protection Act to align with federal immigration crackdowns.
Berger emphasized that the Senate’s work over the last decade has prioritized ordinary citizens over elites or political insiders, aiming to improve the business climate, lower taxes and empower parents.
Farley, a political newcomer and the youngest Labor commissioner elected in the state in more than a century, credited his victory to “grassroots support” and expressed gratitude to the Republican Party’s base.
“I was a grassroots candidate when I ran,” Farley said. “It was the grassroots that powered my victory, and I remained a grassroots Labor commissioner,” Farley said.
Farley highlighted his resistance to the political establishment, particularly Gov. Josh Stein’s attempts to limit the number of Council of State meetings, positioning himself as an outsider fighting for accountability.
“I’m the guy who stood up to Josh Stein when he tried to cut our Council state meetings in half,” said Farley, adding he is still fighting Stein’s “power grabs.” “I will tell you those stances aren’t really earning me any friends in Raleigh establishment.”
Farley mentioned the reality of a “deep state” in government bureaucracies and outlined efforts to reform his office by prioritizing merit, bringing in outside perspectives and rejecting additional tax funding.
“The deep state is a real thing. It exists in every government bureaucracy,” said Farley, adding his agency “got rid of DEI and made merit the gold standard.”
Farley’s remarks included running the Department of Labor efficiently by leveraging user fees instead of tax dollars.
“We are running our agency like a small business so that the small businesses we regulate and the agency are in the same boat,” said Farley. “I’m a government official saying no to more of your tax dollars, that we are going to run the key bureaus of this department using our user fees that we generate.”
Boliek’s comments centered on holding government accountable, as well as keeping a focus on efficiency and wise spending. He also promised to scrutinize every agency and dollar.
“The job of the state auditor is actually pretty simple: You gotta hold state government accountable, make it work smarter, spend money wiser and be held to the high standards of people of North Carolina expect and deserve,” said Boliek. “It’s about making sure every single agency, every department and every official is doing the job the right way.”
Since he took office in January, Boliek’s agency has seen several significant changes, which he said transformed his office from an inward-facing entity to an outward-facing one.
“We’re not a rubber stamp, and I’m not there just to hold the seat and sit around and watch things happen,” said Boliek of the expanded duties.
Boliek highlighted recent audit results, such as uncovering $83 million in errors at NC Central University and addressing inefficiencies at the DMV, stating, “We’re going to get it fixed.”
The auditor also mentioned reviews of hurricane recovery spending, enhancing cybersecurity audits and having a “beefed up” investigations team to tackle fraud.
Boliek garnered applause for a surprise announcement of initiating a push for election integrity inspired by Florida’s practices. He also praised the Republican-led General Assembly and Board of Elections for their efforts to ensure fair and secure elections.
“I will make a little bit of news that I am calling for a 100% audit of voting results prior to canvassing in the state of North Carolina,” said Boliek. “I know it can be done because I just got back from Florida, and they do it in Florida. … Fair, free elections are sacred to each of us and to all Americans. Quite frankly, (it) needs to be easy to vote and hard to cheat.”
