Thirty-Thousand to DC, But Republicans Stay Home

Wilmington’s Junket and the Real Problem

Daily Update · July 6, 2026

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Episode summary:

Wilmington just spent more than thirty thousand taxpayer dollars sending nearly the entire city council to Washington, DC for a “conference” — including four and five star hotels and a private car for the day. We walk through what WECT uncovered, how much this junket really cost per person, and why the mayor’s “optics” excuse misses the point. Then we zoom out to the bigger problem: only about a quarter of registered voters bothered to show up last time, leaving Democrats free to raise taxes and grow government while most Republicans stayed home. With just 17 weeks to go before the 2026 general election, we talk about what happens if conservatives sit it out again — and why Wilmington will be the least of our worries.

What you’ll learn / Key moments

00:01 – Wilmington’s 30,000 dollar DC “conference” and who went on the trip.
00:27 – The real price tag: registrations, travel, luxury hotels, and a leased private car on your dime.
01:10 – Why meeting DC lawmakers who already have local offices makes no fiscal sense.
01:26 – How a 20 percent tax hike and a trip with no real policy impact reveal the city’s priorities.
02:01 – The bigger issue: low turnout, Republicans staying home, and what that means for 2026.

What you can do

If we are tired of junkets, higher taxes, and one‑party rule, then staying home is no longer an option. Get registered, learn who is on your ballot, and make a plan now to vote in November — even if the choices are not perfect. Talk with friends, neighbors, and your church or civic groups about what is happening in Wilmington and why local races matter as much as the presidential race. When informed conservatives show up consistently, city hall feels it, and officials think twice before spending thirty thousand of our dollars on a trip that does nothing for working families here at home.

Transcript

Wilmington spends $30,000 to go to Washington – to meet with David Rouzer.

This is the Wilmington Standard Daily Update for Monday, July 6, 2026.

WECT is reporting that the entire city council – except for Kevin Spears – and 2 staff members traveled to Washington, DC in March for the annual National League of Cities Conference.

The price tag: $30,149. According to the original report, costs included conference registrations, flights, gas, meals and stays at 4 and 5 star hotels. Receipts also included close to $1000 to lease a private car for a day to shuttle Wilmington leaders around our nation’s to capital to meet with various policy makers and elected officials.

If you are following along with the math, that is roughly $3700 per person of your tax payer money to send six Democrats and two city bureaucrats to Washington, DC to meet – in part – with two North Carolina Senators and one North Carolina Representative – all who have local offices.

Mayor Bill Saffo claims having more people from our area “adds gravity” as opposed to just the mayor himself showing up. He says the optics might not be good – but it is the job of city officials to take these trips to compete for federal resources.

Mr. Mayor, you and your Democrat colleagues just passed a budget that increases taxes in the city by 20%. Optics are not the problem – it is the decision to go to Washington DC in the first place to attend a conference that by your city’s own admission does not result in any actual funding or policy changes. This was a pure political junket – attend a few hours of conferences and meetings – and enjoy the rest of the day – at our expense.

But, there is a bigger issue here. The current city council was elected by only 27% of the registered voters in our area. If we assume that Republicans followed that same general pattern, it means that 70% of the GOP stayed home on election day. And now, the Democrats run rough-shod over our city – increasing taxes and increasing spending because that is what Democrats do. And Republicans let them.

As of today, there are 17 weeks and 1 day to the general elections of 2026. Will Republicans once again stay home because they don’t like the candidate, are not excited about the races or hate President Trump?

If so, then the City of Wilmington will be the least of our worries.

For the Wilmington Standard, I’m Reuel Sample. Thanks for listening.

About Reuel Sample

Reuel Sample is the Editor-in-Chief of The Wilmington Standard. A graduate of Grove City College and Princeton Theological Seminary, he has served as both a Presbyterian Pastor and a Navy Chaplain. He is the product of a classical liberal arts education combined with real world experience in politics and business and conservative Christian worldview firmly rooted in the Reformed tradition. He is the host of several podcasts including the NHC GOP Podcast, the Pastor's Voice, and co-hosts the Nikki and Reuel Podcast Experience. An avid sailor, he has sailed around the world as a youth and to the Azores as a teen as well as extensive trips up and down the east coast of the United States. He is honored to be married to his wife Pam and makes his home in Wilmington, NC.