An alleged neo-Nazi is now allowed to run for office in North Carolina

The story is more complicated than it appears
An election issue loaded with political intrigue
Who is Joseph Gibson III?
Not the first time Gibson ran for office
Connections to the National Socialist Movement
What is the National Socialist Movement?
Challenged by Republican officials in the state
A felony record from Connecticut in the 1990s
The question was can Gibson legally run?
Gibson said his voting rights were restored
The county vote was upheld by the state
Reluctantly leaning towards letting Gibson run
A decision based on his past not his beliefs
A political scheme from the democrats?
“Look, Republicans support Nazis
“How would I know he’s a Nazi?”
Gibson denies all accusations
The story is more complicated than it appears

An alleged neo-Nazi and convicted felon has been permitted to stay on the Republican ballot in North Carolina’s Rockingham County following a decision on the matter by the state’s election board on January 16th. 

An election issue loaded with political intrigue

However, the story is far more complicated than you might think. It’s filled with possible political intrigue centered around a man who has been flagged by the Anti-Defamation League as a supporter of extremism. 

Who is Joseph Gibson III?

Joseph Gibson III is running for State Congress in North Carolina’s 65th District. But the North Carolina Republican Party attempted to block Gibson’s candidacy, leading to a very complicated and messy political situation.

Photo Credit: Facebook @joseph.gibson.9277

Not the first time Gibson ran for office

This isn’t the first time Gibson has tried to run for office. Vice reported that Gibson lost a primary against an incumbent candidate in 2022, though he did manage to snatch up to 20% of the vote according to Vice. 

Photo Credit: Facebook @joseph.gibson.9277

Connections to the National Socialist Movement

Following his loss, the Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism exposed Gibson’s alleged ties to neo-Nazi groups in a report that showed Gibson had a relationship with the National Socialist Movement. 

 

What is the National Socialist Movement?

The National Socialist Movement is described as a “long-standing neo-Nazi group” that has its current headquarters in Kissimmee, Florida. Today the group is small but still the largest neo-Nazi group in the US. 

 

Challenged by Republican officials in the state

Vice noted Republican officials in Rockingham Country tried to challenge the candidacy of Gibson on the grounds of his previous criminal record rather than his alleged beliefs and ideologies. But that did not go well. 

Photo Credit: Wiki Commons By Utilisateur, CC BY 2.0

A felony record from Connecticut in the 1990s

Gibson has a felony record from Connecticut dating back the 1990s according to WRAL News, and officials from the North Carolina Republican Party tried to have Gibson taken off the ticket on those grounds. 

Photo Credit: Facebook @joseph.gibson.9277

The question was can Gibson legally run?

However, Gibson had finished his probation over a decade before attempting to run for office, a condition that state law requires for any felon who wishes to regain their voting rights. So what happened next?

Gibson said his voting rights were restored

Gibson testified he had had his voting rights restored and moved to North Carolina in 2025 according to The Assembly. This left Gibson’s challenge up to the decision of the county and state election boards, which voted 3-2 to keep him on the ballot. 

Photo Credit: Facebook @joseph.gibson.9277

The county vote was upheld by the state

The two Republican members of Rockingham County’s election board were outvoted by three Democrats. On January 16th, the decision by Rockingham County was upheld by the state election board in a unanimous 4-0. 

Reluctantly leaning towards letting Gibson run

"I'm leaning, reluctantly, toward the conclusion that we do affirm the county board's decision," explained Stacey Eggers IV, a Republican member of the state board's GOP members, just before the vote to do just that.

A decision based on his past not his beliefs

WRAL News reported that the State Board of Elections’ decision was decided based on Gibson’s criminal record rather than his current views. However, Republican leaders say Democrats in Rockingham Country had an ulterior motive. 

A political scheme from the democrats?

North Carolina House GOP Caucus Director Stephen Wiley spoke with WRAL News on the decision to allow Gibson to run in the 65th District and said Democrats in the county wanted Gibson on the ballot to embarrass the rest of the Republican Party in the state. 

Photo Credit: Twitter @StephenBWiley

“Look, Republicans support Nazis"

"Democrats decided they wanted a Nazi in the Republican primary, so that if even one person votes for him they can say 'Look, Republicans support Nazis,'" Wiley explained. It’s a theory that would make some sense. 

“How would I know he’s a Nazi?”

Rockingham Country Democrat and election board member Thurman Hampton denied the claim. “How would I know he’s a Nazi?” Hampton said. "We were not there to talk about his credibility, or his suitability…It was one simple question: Was he eligible?"

Photo Credit: Facebook @joseph.gibson.9277

Gibson denies all accusations

Gibson has denied the allegations that he is, or was, connected to the National Socialist Movement, though admitted the group had called into his podcast. Gibson now wants an apology for the "character assassination" and "political assassination," he suffered. 

Photo Credit: Facebook @joseph.gibson.9277

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