“The Harsh Truth: Kinston’s New Mayor Was Bought Before He Began.”

After weeks of delay, the protest against Kareem Moore’s election was dismissed — but that dismissal cannot erase the truth of how he rose to power. His campaign was not built on loyalty or gratitude, but on betrayal and manipulation. From the very beginning, I was the one who believed in his potential, walked him into the Board of Elections to file, and carried his name into the spotlight. Yet once power was within reach, he allowed himself to be bought, pressured, and turned against the very people who made him.

“A puppet easily bought at a cheap price.” That’s what his campaign revealed. Loyalty traded for ambition. Integrity sold off for political convenience.

He never said a word to me during the election season. Not a thank you. Not an acknowledgment. Nothing. Yet I still campaigned for him. I still pushed his name into the spotlight. I still helped secure his seat.

And what did he do? He let BJ Murphy dictate terms. Because I refused to support Murphy’s antics, Murphy only offered his backing if Kareem disassociated himself from me. Kareem agreed — and from that moment, he said not one word to me. Still, I campaigned for him to the bitter end.

“My foot will be on his neck.” That’s not a threat — it’s a promise of accountability. Every move he makes as mayor will be watched. Every decision will be measured against the promises he owes this city.

📅 Sidebar Timeline: Kareem Moore’s Path to Power

Date	Event
Summer 2025	Kareem Moore launched his campaign with none but Quarla Blackwell and Euncie Flowers
Early Nov 2025	One month before early voting, the culprits appeared and offered him support he did not need. Already established, Moore betrayed the very person who talked him into running and even went with him to file the paperwork.
Nov 2025	Because I refused to support BJ Murphy and his antics, he only offered support to Kareem if Kareem disassociated himself from me. Kareem said not one word to me after that — yet I still campaigned for him to the bitter end.
Nov 2025	Protest dismissed; Moore confirmed as Mayor of Kinston
Nov 2025	Criticism mounts for not to this day thanking supporters, while publicly attaching himself closely to a highly unsuccessful ex‑mayor and member of the GOP
Going Forward	Citizens vow to hold him accountable for every policy and ordinance

🗣️ Community Voices

• Angela R. — “We fought to put him in that seat, and he turned his back on us. Got the nerve to be on something with all the republicans or did he fool us and is a republican that just ran independent ? to get our vote."

  
  

• Juanita C. _ He is a fraud, the video he did with us he edited it a lot. He took out the parts that he got mad and started cussing and stomping his feet. He is not what he say he is. He didn't even play the other lady part cause he couldn't handle what she was saying."

  
  

• Marcus T. — “No mayor should forget the people who carried him forward — silence is betrayal.” The negro could have at least thanked us talking about he was hoarse. Already making excuses like the last mayor.".

  
  

• Denise H. — “If Kareem thinks hidden deals will run this city, he’s mistaken. We’re watching.” And that Derrick Middleton acting like he the mayor all up Kareem ass" and he a scam and con artist himself looking to gain off the city"

  
  

• Robert J. — “Accountability isn’t optional. Every move he makes will be under a microscope.”

  
  

• Sharon L. — “Kinston deserves integrity, not puppetry. We won’t let favoritism buy our future.”

  
  

• David M. — “Publicly standing in close proximity with a mayor who has already failed us twice is not a good look.”

  
  

• Patricia S. — “Criticism mounts for not to this day thanking supporters, while attaching himself closely to a highly unsuccessful ex‑mayor and member of the GOP.”

  
  

• Quarla Blackwell — “So‑called friends betrayed me. Church members betrayed me. They even tried to encourage my own family to betray me. And the campaign team he built in the very last month of the election was one of disgust — Tonyu Marshall, Betty Nobles, Derrick Middleton — all seeking to take credit for something they had very little to do with. It took more than wearing a shirt and making a Facebook post to get an unknown name, a grain of salt in this city, to beat Don Hardy.”

  
  

✨ Closing Reflection

Kareem Moore may have secured the mayor’s seat, but betrayal defines his path. The citizens of Kinston will not be passive. We will hold him accountable, demand transparency, and ensure that our city moves forward with integrity — not manipulation.

We will mandate forensic audits, double down on policies being put in place, and most importantly, we will stick to the plan that God wrote to get him there. Nothing but death will stir me from that plan — so come what may.

And finally, I want to extend my deepest thank you to all the supporters who came out to stand with Sammy and Les. In the face of Kareem’s campaign showing partiality to the other six council candidates by pairing himself with Milton Foster and Tyrone Cotton — a move that proved to be a major political failure — Kinston is still blessed. We now have two true voices for the people, even in spite of what turned out to be a vote for more trash in the mayor’s seat.