2,044 events on record Subscribe September 10, 2026
Standing Record home The Standing Record A non-partisan record of US democratic norms —
and the events that erode them.

North Carolina auditor's elections liaison guided GOP county boards on removing their nonpartisan elections directors

On September 23, 2025, Dallas Woodhouse -- the elections liaison in Republican North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek's office -- emailed Republican-majority election board members in New Hanover and Anson counties a step-by-step guide, including a template removal petition, for firing their nonpartisan elections directors, bypassing the normal channel through the state elections director's office. New Hanover County director Rae Hunter-Havens abruptly retired on October 7, 2025, two weeks later, citing health reasons; records obtained by WECT nearly a year later showed board members privately describing her departure as a firing. Woodhouse acknowledged in an interview that his advice "could be deemed as putting a thumb on the scale."

Jurisdiction
North Carolina
Location
Wilmington, North Carolina

Abuses documented

Actors

On September 23, 2025, Dallas Woodhouse, then the elections liaison in Republican North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek's office, emailed Republican-majority county elections board members detailed, step-by-step instructions for removing their nonpartisan county elections directors, including a template removal petition and the guidance "LIST REASONS. BE PRECISE. EXTREMELY FACTUAL. DO NOT ADD OPINION, ONLY LIST WHAT YOU CAN PROVE." Woodhouse sent the email -- subject-lined "County BOE Dir termination guide" -- to New Hanover County Board of Elections Chair Jamie Getty and member Beverly Setz, and to Anson County Board of Elections Chair Kelly Newton.

State law requires the state elections director or the state Board of Elections -- not the auditor's office -- to approve a county board's request to fire its elections director. Woodhouse, a former executive director of the state Republican Party whom Boliek hired for the newly created elections-liaison position, said in an interview that he offered the removal guidance because he believed county board members could not get help from state elections staff; he acknowledged the advice "could be deemed as putting a thumb on the scale." Democratic state board member Jeff Carmon said county boards had previously gone to the state elections director for that kind of guidance instead, because state staff are equipped to advise "without violating any laws or going beyond their authority."

New Hanover County Elections Director Rae Hunter-Havens abruptly announced her immediate retirement on October 7, 2025, two weeks after receiving Woodhouse's guidance, citing health reasons. Records obtained by WECT nearly a year later -- text messages between Getty and Woodhouse -- showed Getty referring to Hunter-Havens's departure as being "fired," with Woodhouse responding that the outcome had "worked very well." Getty told NC Newsline she did not remember receiving the September 2025 email; Hunter-Havens did not respond to a request for comment.

Updates

2026-05-13 — Anson County board's petition to remove director Melton succeeded [1, 4]

The Anson County Board of Elections, chaired by Kelly Newton -- one of the two officials Woodhouse's September 23, 2025 email had addressed -- petitioned the state board in April 2026 to remove longtime elections director Sherry Melton. The North Carolina State Board of Elections' executive director, Sam Hayes, appointed Neva Brody Helms as Anson County's new elections director, effective May 13, 2026.

Why we recorded this

Free and fair elections depend on election administrators who can do their jobs without partisan pressure over how long they keep them. Records show a Republican state auditor's elections liaison sidestepped the state elections director -- the official state law designates to approve county firing requests -- and sent GOP-majority county election boards a template and step-by-step guide for removing their own nonpartisan directors. Woodhouse himself acknowledged the conduct could be seen as improperly tipping the outcome. This archive records when officials engineer an election administrator's removal outside the process the law provides, because it drives experienced, nonpartisan staff out of the system that runs elections.

Sources

  1. NC auditor's liaison advised county elections board members on how to fire directors — NC Newsline primary accessed August 18, 2026
  2. WECT INVESTIGATES: New records indicate Rae Hunter-Havens may have been forced out as elections director — WECT investigative accessed August 18, 2026
  3. New Hanover County Elections Director announces immediate retirement, citing health concerns — WECT primary accessed August 18, 2026
  4. Anson County appoints new elections director, deputy — Carolina Journal investigative accessed August 18, 2026

See also