Republicans in Dare County appear poised to recommend Jerome “Jerry” Reginald Tillett to serve in the first senate district of North Carolina.
Jerome Reginald, who goes by “Jerry,” received a public reprimand from the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission in 2013 for misusing his power in disputes with several Dare County government officials, won the Republican primary for North Carolina’s 1st state senate district in March, despite being embroiled in a scandal surrounding his use of the N-word.
National File exclusively reported on Tillett’s use of the N-word in December.
Tillett’s scandalous misuse of power was the subject of a long-running disciplinary process at the behest of the North Carolina State Bar.
That ordeal lasted for years.
Tillett has also found himself embroiled in the middle of the Harvey West scandal, which threatens to derail former RNC Chairman Michael Whatley’s campaign to replace Thom Tillis as North Carolina’s United States Senator.
Tillett and Whatley campaigned closely with convicted child molester Harvey West, who pleaded guilty to indecent liberties with a fourteen year old, and was also implicated in sexual escapades with two sixteen year olds.
West served six years in prison for those crimes.
Despite this, Tillett campaigned with West.
In a March 2024 email which Whatley was copied on, Whatley’s hand-picked NC GOP replacement as Chairman, Jason Simmons, elevated West to key leadership roles in the Republican Party’s Planning Committee.
Despite Tillett’s association with child molester Harvey West, his long history of misuse of power, his clear use of the N-word, which District Attorney Jeff Cruden confirmed, and his instigation of malicious prosecution against his political opponents – including Tillett’s suit against Purple Heart recipient Teddy Daniels and his wife – Republicans in the 1st state senate district are poised to recommend to the Governor that Tillett head straight to Raleigh to fill Hanig’s now-empty senate seat.
Teddy Daniels is a prominent, national-level conservative figure, Purple Heart recipient and veterans advocate, who regularly appears on Fox News and Newsmax.
Members of the ten North Carolina GOP County Executive Committees that comprise the first state senate district will convene this Saturday for a vote to nominate their choice to fill the seat vacated by recently retired senator Bobby Hanig.
National File can exclusively reveal that those Republican County Executive Committees are likely to send a recommendation of Jerry Tillett to the Governor’s desk in Raleigh, who will then likely follow the recommendation and appoint Tillett to finish the term in the seat vacated by Hanig. National File can report this likely recommendation after having more than a half dozen conversations with current and former party officials close to the process to replace the retiring Hanig.
The ten counties sending their Executive Committee members to vote to elevate Tillett include: Dare, Bertie, Camden, Currituck, Gates, Hertford, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimmans, Tyrrell.
The County Executive Committee Chairmen include:
Rene Etheridge – Currituck County
Benjamin Winslow – Tyrell County
Bob Valentine – Perquimmans County
Carol Rolling – Pasquotank County
Greg Norman – Northampton County
Dave Forsyth – Gates County
Alexander Douglas – Dare County
Tuesday Sauer – Bertie County
Dana Smith – Camden County
Hertford County does not have a GOP Executive Committee.
Tillett and his former female confidant Jennifer Karpowicz Bland are suing National File and National File founder Noel Fritsch for the initial report about Tillett’s use of the N-word.
Tillett’s use of malicious prosecution against political opponents is in keeping with his previous ethical lapses involving retaliatory behavior against political opponents, which resulted in his quiet exit from the bench in April of 2025.
SBI INVESTIGATES TILLETT’S LARGEST DONOR
Tillett’s proclivity for scandal has kicked it into high gear of late, especially given his association with James “Jordan” Hennessy, TIllett’s largest financial contributor.
The Outer Banks Voice reported on Tuesday that the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation into Tillett’s largest campaign contributor, James “Jordan” Hennessy.
As often happens in Tillett-friendly Dare County, where justice seems hard to come by, this particular case had to be initiated clear across the state in Wake County.
“The Wake County District Attorney has asked the NC State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) to launch a criminal probe into a state-funded program connected to Jordan Hennessy. With federal probe into domestic abuse program seemingly stalled, Wake DA steps in.
The SBI confirmed to the Voice that is has opened that investigation.
Hennessy is Tillett’s largest campaign contributor.
Dare County residents have reached out to National File to flag the relationship between Hennessy and Tillett, asking whether there is any judicial quid pro quo offered between Hennessy and Tillett, who still has many long-standing relationships in Dare County’s courts and legal community.
The Bigger Picture: Tillett nomination threatens to inject race into the general elections this fall
Tillett’s win in the March primary, with the help of Democrats in Dare County, threatens to imperil the Republican’s thin majority in the state senate.
Harvey West is being weaponized against Whatley, and rightly so.
Don Davis defeated Laurie Buckhout in 2024, in part because of Buckhout’s association with West.
Still, Republican Party leadership in Raleigh have not indicated any clear willingness to move away from Tillett.
