Campaign to Elect Warner Wells

To all of my friends and supporters in this primary election,

I wanted to say thank you for all of your help, encouragement and support. I may have lost the battle, but the race is not over for me. Another opportunity will arise in the future and I intend to stand up then as well. I would not be able to say this so soon after such a sound drubbing, but for the encouragement and support that I continue to receive. For those of you in Pitt County who have graciously supported me by displaying my yard signs, I ask that you please collect them up and let me know where to come and get them.

Again, I can't fully express my gratitude for all of you, but THANK YOU!!!

Today is Primary Day!!! Happy voting and enjoy the privilege.

250 miles and I have covered every polling station. On my way home from Fountain and Farmville. I'm tired but optimistic about tomorrow! Thank you all for your support. I'll be rady to do it all again tomorrow. See you at the polls!

I am sure that most of you have seen the early voting numbers. Thanks to all of you who have already voted and voted for me. This will be a tight race from what I have seen and heard, so every vote is important. Encourage your spouse and friends to vote if they haven't already done so!!

It should go without saying, but remember that a judge should be above politics. A judge is a guardian of the law and should not be a creator of new laws. Judicial office requires courage and compassion, intellect and experience, patience and practicality.

As we enter the final week of one stop voting and approach the May 8th primary, I wanted to first thank all of you who supported throughout this campaign season. I also wanted to ask each of you to reach out to your friends and neighbors. Ask them if they have voted and, if they haven't done so yet, remind them of the privilege we enjoy in this nation to exercise our voice in the way our government operates. Finally, please tell them about me and ask them to support me as well. Thank you.

Don't forget the judicial candidates' forum this evening at the Fountain Community Center. For those of you in the Fountain, Falkland, Belvoir area, this would be a great opportunity to come out and assess the candidates for yourself. Teh forum begins at 6:30 pm.

My judicial philosophy is best stated as justice must be blind to prejudices, deaf to political clamor, compassionate on the worthy and punishing on the deserving. After running for ten weeks, I have had the opportunity to truly reflect on what it would mean to serve our county as District Court Judge. I promise to you all to adhere to this philosophy and maintain the courage of my convictions throughout this race and moving forward.

Here are some interesting statistics for you all, but at the outset understand that not all cases that are filed have actual merit to them:

In FY 2011 (July 2010 - June 2011), there were 3200 civil cases filed in District Court. Of that number, 1076 were either tried or dismissed by a judge

In the same year, 10,700 misdemeanor and infractions were filed in District Court. Of that number, 3,068 were tried or sentenced by a judge. 7,287 were dismissed without leave by the DA.

There were 19,260 traffic citations issued in Pitt County. Of that number, 2,532 were tried or sentenced by a judge. 13,927 were dismissed without leave by the DA.