Before You Vote: A Look at the Public Record of Johnston County Commissioner Chairman Patrick Harris

As Election Day approaches, voters deserve access to publicly available information about the individuals seeking to lead our county. This is not an endorsement or opposition piece. It is a review of public records and campaign finance reports so citizens can make informed decisions for themselves.

Public officials often ask to be judged by their record. Past. Present. Future.

A complete review of that record includes:

Court records (you can access this via the Court Portal)

Campaign finance reports (you can access this on NC State Campaign Finance Reports)

Public statements (Harris has made claims he is clean -He maybe now but not then)

Voting history (you can access this all on JOCO Gov't minutes)

Actions taken while in office (you can access this all on JOCO Gov't minutes)

The goal is not to tell you the voter what to think. The goal is to provide information that allows you the voter to ask questions and reach their own conclusions.

Public Court Record Timeline:

Publicly available Johnston County court records show the following history for Patrick E. Harris:

02/22/1989: Guilty, Worthless Checks

03/25/1992: Guilty, Worthless Checks

03/25/1992: Guilty, Worthless Checks (second case)

04/16/1992: Guilty, Worthless Checks

06/02/1992: Guilty, Worthless Checks

06/11/1992: Guilty, Worthless Checks

Case No. 92 CR 004038-500: Guilty, Worthless Checks

Case No. 92 CR 004522-670: Guilty, Worthless Checks

09/29/1993: Guilty, Worthless Checks

01/06/1994: Guilty, Worthless Checks

First Citizens Bank Judgment:

On July 28, 1994, First Citizens Bank filed Case No. 94CVM001215-500 against Patrick E. Harris and%$%$* Harris.

Court records show that on September 20, 1994, a civil judgment was entered in favor of First Citizens Bank. The Johnston County court portal currently lists that judgment as "Active."

IRS Federal Tax Lien:

Court records show that on November 26, 2013, the Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service filed a Federal Tax Lien against Patrick E. Harris.

The judgment amount was listed as:

Principal Amount: $46,540.64

Interest Rate: 8%

The court file later shows:

Status: Cancelled

Date Cancelled: April 17, 2017

Reason: "Paid and Satisfied in Full"

The IRS judgment was therefore recorded and later satisfied according to the court record.

According to the Johnston County website, Patrick E. Harris was sworn in as a Johnston County Commissioner in December 2018 and currently serves as Chairman of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners.

Campaign finance reports filed with the State Board of Elections show contributions from a variety of individuals, business owners, elected officials, attorneys, and political committees.

Largest Contributions Identified So Far:

Contributor & Amount:

Markus Wilhelm, CEO of Strata Solar $5,400

Lassiter $5,400

Massey $3,000

NC Clean Energy Business Alliance PAC $2,800

Stancil $2,500

Larry C. Strickland $1,750

Wordsworth $1,500

Wordsworth $1,000

Notable Contributors:

Public campaign finance reports reviewed also show contributions from:

Jonathan Breeden, Attorney

N. Leo Daughtry, Attorney and former legislator

Robert Spence Jr., Attorney

Ted Godwin, KS Bank executive

Jeffery P. Carver, County Commissioner and banking executive

James "Jim" Lee Jr., listed as a developer

Van Jones, real estate appraiser

Bizzell for Sheriff political committee

NC Clean Energy Business Alliance PAC

The purpose of campaign finance transparency is not to imply wrongdoing. Campaign contributions are legal and publicly reported.

However, you as the voter may reasonably ask:

Which contributors have business interests in Johnston County?

Which contributors have appeared before the Board of Commissioners?

Have contributors sought rezonings, permits, or county approvals?

How has Chairman Harris voted on major development projects?

How has he voted on growth, infrastructure, and land-use decisions?

Do campaign contributions overlap with issues that later appeared before the Board?

These are questions that every voter should ask of every elected official regardless of party.

As JoCo Citizens, we believe informed voters create better government.

The purpose of this information is not to relitigate decades-old events, nor is it to make accusations. The purpose is to provide verifiable public information that allows citizens to evaluate public officials using the same standard we should apply to everyone seeking public trust.

Transparency. Accountability. Facts.

Public records belong to the public. What voters choose to do with that information is up to them.

Current CC Patrick Harris now has an opponent. That opponent is a WRITE IN. Which means if you choose Will Byrd- YOU must WRITE IN his name and FILL in the BUBBLE in order for your vote to count. The only way for a write-in to “win” is to outvote Patrick Harris, and the odds depend entirely on how many votes the write‑in candidate can gather compared to Harris’s expected total.

2022- 52,963 his total

2018-46,304 he won against C. Ellington by the skin of his teeth

2014- He lost to Cookie Pope- 36,227 (her total votes)

That is all!

Carry on!

@2026 The JOCO Sass Dispatch