Phillip Gilfus for Cumberland County Commissioner, At-Large

Ladies and Gents of BlueNC:

I wanted y'all to be the first to know that I am taking up the call and will be running for the appointment and election to the soon-to-be vacated at-large seat on the Cumberland County Board of Commission. I'll be giving y'all more information about this exciting campaign as it gets off the ground, but for now just wanted to share our press release announcement. Please join us on Facebook and feel free to contact me as we promote our ideals at the local government level. See ya on the campaign trail!

Phillip

Local Attorney and Iraq War Veteran Seeks Seat on County Commission

“A New Vision to Move the County Forward”

Fayetteville, NC – Local Attorney Phillip Gilfus has announced that he will seek an at-large seat on the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners.

Gilfus, who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and is a former Army captain, informed the Democratic Party leaders in the county that he will seek the recommendation of the party and the appointment by the board of commissioners to fill the vacancy caused by the recent announced resignation of Commissioner Breeden Blackwell.

All of the local precinct chairs and vice chairs are members of the county executive committee and will vote on a recommendation to the current board of commissioners on Feb. 18.

“I have spoke with and listened to local community leaders and precinct officers over the past weeks and have decided that there is a real desire to have a fresh approach to the many challenges facing our county,” said Gilfus.

Mr. Gilfus is a third generation U.S. Army officer. He is employed as an attorney (Of Counsel) at The Mitchell Law Group in downtown Fayetteville. Gilfus graduated from Terry Sanford High School, then graduated from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, with a B.A. degree in Communications (Journalism) and a Minor in Public Administration. After completing his education at East Carolina, he joined the U.S. Army following the attacks of 9/11.

“I volunteered to join the Army during a time of war, I volunteered to deploy to Iraq in 2005, and now I have decided to seek a seat on the board of commission. I have always believed in public service and am excited about this campaign and look forward to joining the commissioners in tackling the tough issues and helping our citizens,” he said.

Gilfus deployed to Mosul, Iraq, in March of 2005 and joined the 1/25 SBCT [1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade Combat Team]. He left the Army in 2006 at the rank of Captain. After returning from Iraq, Gilfus was accepted to the Norman A. Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University, and chose to return to his hometown of Fayetteville while attending school and to begin his legal career. While at Campbell University, he was Editor-in-Chief of the Campbell Law Observer, and immediately became involved in his community. Gilfus is a member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church where he has served as a lay reader for many years and also serves on its 12-person Vestry. He is a member of the Military Affairs Council of the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce. Gilfus has served in various roles for the local Democratic Party, including Treasurer of the Democratic Men’s Club, Vice-President of the Young Democrats, and 3rd Vice Chair of the Cumberland County Democratic Party. He also serves on the North Carolina Democratic Party State Executive Committee, State Executive Council and is a member of the Democratic National Committee along with current County Commissioner Jeanette Council.

“I am running for county commissioner because of my overwhelming desire to make a difference in our community, to provide essential services to our citizens, and the demand for a fresh approach to the issues that face us now and in the future,” he said. “We must make sure that we are working to improve the quality of life in all areas of our county, not just a few. I take very seriously the duty of the board of commissioners to be stewards of the taxpayers' dollars. During these economic times, we must keep the burden of taxes and fees lower for our working families and small businesses. I look forward to speaking with voters across the county as this campaign progresses and listening to the concerns of the citizens.”