The Madison County Republicans shoot themselves in the foot again.
It is becoming a weekly thing. Do they have any toes left?
The Madison County Republican Party is now working with Buddy Harwood in a clear show of white nationalist and isolationist support. It’s hard to believe, but this is happening. Either they’ve lost their way, or this is who they always were.
Why did the Madison County Republican Party put out a video called ‘Home Grown’ that criticizes people who weren’t born here by calling them ‘Outsiders’? Matt Wechtel lived his whole adult life in Ohio; what right does he have to call anyone an outsider? Or any of you, for that matter. It is disgusting, homegrown ignorance.
While they seem to believe this strategy will work, the candidates in the video appear unprepared and unaware.
This is the kind of antic Pee Wee Nesbitt is known for;
remember his lies about Jamie Adger. story below
Michael Garrison called this video his dream team. So why was Robin Lyles, a Republican running for Sheriff, left out?
Because, folks, Michael Garrison is a born-and-bred Madison County coward. He is Buddy Harwood’s brain and hides under a hood like the clan of yesteryear.
Watch it below.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1360506153815821
Does this rhetoric encourage positive individuals and businesses to invest in our area? Michael Garrison has again focused attention on himself. In my view, Michael Garrison, Matt Wechtel, Jeremy Hensley, Alan Wyatt, and Mark Snelson have contributed to increased scrutiny from federal authorities.
Their public defense of Avery Clark, who faces serious allegations, raises significant concerns about their judgment and morals.
Watching this was both painful and disappointing. If this approach continues, I worry the county government may struggle to manage its finances, especially since it claims attracting business to Madison is necessary to fund and maintain the County Complex.
Who will pay to maintain the marble floors in this Michael Garrison-Matt Wechtel Taj Mahal?
Remember that Honeycutt said this was the initial rationale for building the new County Complex on such a large scale. Jeremy Hensley and Alan Wyatt bragged about the marble floors in this big Government overreach. Alan Wyatt has even stalked individuals in the county whoquestioned himon Facebook.
Do you feel confident putting your finances and your children’s well-being in the hands of people whose religious beliefs might not match your community’s values? By their own comments and actions, they intend to force their religious views on all of us. This is exactly what their warped churches, which they attend, preach.
Some people worry that those connected to Buddy Harwood are trying to take control of our county through financial means.
Michael Garrison and Matt Wechtel support Mark Snelson to hide their own wrongdoing. While in office, all three voted to give our tax dollars to the Sheriff’s Department with no oversight.
Harwood took the $3 million gift meant for salaries and training and used it elsewhere or put it in their pockets. We need a full audit of Buddy Harwood and Michael Garrison’s spending. This could be why they are worried about this election and are trying to create divisiveness in the public.
The Sheriff’s Department in Madison is used to telling the populace how to vote. Now the populace thinks for itself and votes as it wants, not as ordered. This has the Sheriff’s goons worried and angry, and it’s why they call us outsiders.
Still, people in Madison County should be concerned about Buddy Harwood and what he’s doing, because his actions could put local taxpayers in real danger.
Buddy Harwood has no bounds and thinks he can do as he pleases
During the week of September 3, 2026, Buddy Harwood used a Madison County vehicle for personal travel while vacationing in Johnson City, Erwin. This violates our insurance policy, which prohibits personal use of county vehicles.
The vehicle is a white, 4-wheel-drive Tahoe worth $90,000. While Mr. Harwood calls it his own, it belongs to Madison County taxpayers.
September 3 was the night when his deputies shot 20 rounds at a Motorcycle fleeing from them. The only reason the bullet hit the driver in the wrist was that it ricocheted off the bike.
Jeremy Hensley’s son was one of the shooters. In the video above, Hensley brags about his shooting skills with his kids. Obviously, that is an oxymoron. Was Harwood racing to Madison County over this?
Harwood takes off at high speed from Johnson City at 9:45 PM in our County Vehicle. He gets on the radio and orders the Erwin and TN State police to stand down. Do not attempt to stop me.
Buddy Harwood was recorded driving at 112 miles per hour on Interstate 26. The Tennessee State Police were told by their supervisors to try to catch him, but he got away before they reached the Madison County line. If Harwood had caused an accident or injury in the county vehicle, our insurance wouldn’t have covered it, and the county could have faced serious financial risk.
How many other incidents like this have happened? Matt Wechtel is a claims adjuster. Would he recognize how serious this situation is? I also wonder if Wechtel has handled similar cases involving Harwood, Phillips, and these deputies. The only time this man has any energy is when he rallies to protect Avery Clark, a known law enforcement stalker.
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This is Michael Garrison’s Tar baby-He produced the video…
All the while claiming religious integrity. Sound familiar? Look at the video below who does this remind you of?
Michael Garrison and Matt Wechtel excluded Robin Lyles from the Homegrown video because of their support for Buddy Harwood.
Two videos: Jim Thorsen interviewed Robin Lyles on WART radio. Lyles demonstrated a confident, direct, impartial approach from the outset. Number 2- A great interview which answers more questions.
Robin Lyles emphasized his commitment to serving all Madison County residents and to restoring integrity in Madison County. He also has much more training and experience than Buddy Harwood.
Facebook interview #1- 10-13-26
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ErAAW2Sip
Facebook interview #2
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DffVVkSKa
Facebook interview #3
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EnbmBGopC
Harwood appeared on the Chad Nesbitt show to discuss the election. The interview lacked substantive questions and focused instead on less challenging topics.
This approach suggested limited confidence in Harwood’s ability to address more complex issues. Harwood’s responses came across as uninformed and dismissive.
The two sheriff candidates have different backgrounds.
Robin Lyles is well trained and promises a fair, law-and-order approach for Madison County. Buddy Harwood, on the other hand, has not had formal training in 16 years because elected sheriffs are not required to complete it.
Harwood’s last formal training was a session in Quantico, Virginia, with John Ledford. While there, Buddy Harwood accidentally ran over John Ledford with a car. Both were injured and told not to come back.
This election gives us a clear choice: keep things as they are or move toward a more open and law-abiding direction that matches our community’s values.
Residents who support the homegrown narrative often resist new ideas, as leadership has encouraged the belief that their approach is the only acceptable one.
Because growth has been limited, taxpayers are shouldering a greater share of the county’s budget. Our current economic and revenue base cannot support budget mismanagement, which remains a risk with the Madison County judicial complex and the pending legal ramifications of the corruption and lawsuits the Buddy Harwood regime caused.
Early voting begins tomorrow. You can still register to vote at any early voting site. Remember to bring a photo ID and proof of your address. You must vote at an early voting location.
Here are my choices for the November 3rd election and why.
For Sheriff, I support Robin Lyles because he brings the change our county needs. I want to feel safe commuting in Madison County. I am tired of seeing citizens harassed and targeted by untrained law enforcement just because they are not local or are a different race.
This year, I am supporting more Democratic candidates than ever. I am voting for all Democratic legislative candidates because the current Legislature failed to finalize a budget for two years. Since July 1, 2025, the General Assembly has operated without a full two-year budget and used mini-budgets instead. They only passed this year’s budget because it was an election year. They also signed a contract with FLOCK to put cameras on all NC highways.
I am also supporting all Democratic candidates for judicial positions. I believe recent actions by Republicans in the courts have damaged impartiality. We need more balance in the judiciary, not religious gerrymandering.
I am voting for Roy Cooper because his opponent, Whatley, has Trump’s endorsement. While I have had concerns about Cooper, I appreciate his consistent support for free speech. Without the First Amendment, we would not have the Second.
I am voting for Jamie Ager because I want a representative who stands up for Western North Carolina, not Washington, D.C. Jennifer Balkcom, who is also endorsed by Trump, has a history of putting big donors like Duke Energy ahead of her constituents.
The School Board race interests me most. I will not vote for Melissa Sluder because I believe her religious views from Little Ivy Church influence her too much. She played a key role in the attempted Health Department takeover with Jeremy Hensley and Alan Wyatt. She also spread false information about candidates in a previous campaign and stalked Madison County teachers at their workplaces.
I believe Melissa Sluder is not fit for office, so I will vote for Deborah Boone.
I considered John Bratz for chair until I learned of another plan involving the Republican Party. If Bratz wins the chair, his District 2 seat would become vacant, and the Republican Party could fill it. They might choose Sluder or the Oliphant woman, neither of whom I support or respect.
I think Bratz knew this, which says a lot about the kind of chair he would be.
Commissioners: I will be voting for Connie Molland, Dr. Shannon Dowler, and William Briggs. I am voting for Briggs because he is untarnished, and I don’t think he was involved in this “Homegrown Hoax” implemented by Michael Garrison, Matt Wechtel, and Buddy Harwood.
I must warn you, Democrats: if you vote for Mark Snelson, you are voting for Buddy Harwood, because Wechtel and Garrison will vote three-way on every issue that benefits Harwood.
Mark Snelson is a homegrown grift who also sits on the French Broad board. What does French Broad want? More electricity sold. How do they get that? Data centers, which would require a three-way vote in Madison County to undo the current data-center requirements.
Those data centers will be in your backyards, not theirs. Don’t doubt me; they will do it because they are bitter toward the populace who have awakened and will no longer let them make our choices. I am voting in favor of all three constitutional amendments.
Below are two election videos for Jamie Ager and Jennifer Balkcom. Notice the difference. You have a choice.
Do you want a candidate like Jamie Ager, who will fight for WNC, or one like Balkcom, who will fight for DC- CH
Notice Ager said we need to work together, and he never called us outsiders or demanded our allegiance; what a novel idea.
Is you is or is you ain’t my constituents? I ain’t – CH
Now comes Jennifer Balkcom in Granny Get Your Gun…
