Grassroots groups organizing to take control of NCGOP

Leaders met in Sanford to turn frustration into a plan ahead of 2026

Pessimistic about the GOP’s prospects in 2026, grassroots conservative groups across North Carolina are organizing to change the party from the inside.

At the center is Jim Womack of Lee County — a former candidate for state party chair who has been stymied by the party’s rules in the past. Now he’s planning to use those same bylaws to force the changes he’s seeking.

This isn’t just venting online. This past weekend, organizers met at the Lee County GOP headquarters in Sanford for what they called a “Gathering of Patriots.” Womack told me roughly 85 leaders from 38 counties took part, connected to about 50 organizations, with more expected to join follow-on discussions.

Groups involved include the Asheville Tea Party and Coastal Carolina Taxpayers Association.

Two products came out of Saturday’s meeting: a draft charter to revive the Conservative Coalition of North Carolina as a statewide hub for training, communication, and candidate vetting; and a working list of complaints about how t…