On Tuesday afternoon, New Hanover County school board member David Perry announced that he was leaving the GOP and returning to the Libertarian Party.
On social media, Perry has been increasingly critical of the Trump administration, and has at times faced blowback from local Republicans. On Tuesday, he said the Republican Party no longer resembled the party of Reagan. He said most rank-and-file Republicans are good people, but that he felt Trump was creating a “federalized authoritarian state.”
Perry was also critical of the Republican Party's failure to adequately address abortion, noting that he had previously differed with the Libertarian for its essentially 'pro-choice' stance, which it had since dropped as a plank.
Perry also had criticisms for the Democratic Party, saying people should not "believe all this newfound Constitutional interest in individual rights," accusing the Democrats of wanting to control people's rights and welfare.
Perry cited George Washington to criticize the party system in general, saying that "ideally I would join the continually growing ranks of the unaffiliated voter." Perry argued that Democrats and Republicans have "colluded" to pass election laws making a successful unaffiliated candidacy impossible, and so he'd therefore chosen to return to the Libertarian Party.
Perry was previously a member of the Libertarian Party from 2016 to 2019, during which time he unsuccessfully ran for state representative. In 2020, he made another unsuccessful run for a house seat, this time as a Republican.
In 2024, he won a seat on the school board as a Republican. Perry thanked voters who had helped him win the seat, saying he would continue to serve as a "Constitutional conservative."
The event was organized by the Cape Fear Libertarian Party, including chair Bob Drach, who is also running for county commissioner in the general election.
WHQR asked the New Hanover County Republican Party for a comment ahead of the announcement; they have not yet responded.
