North Carolina Republicans meeting this weekend in Wilmington are setting their sights on 2012 and wresting the governor's mansion and White House from Democrats.
About 1,600 people attended the GOP convention with 1,161 delegates casting their vote to elect former U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes to a full two-year term as state chairman. The party's executive committee elected him to serve out the rest of Tom Fetzer's term in January.
Hayes said having the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte next year gives the GOP a great opportunity to point out differences with its rival. The state GOP wants to raise millions of dollars before then.
Wayne King was elected vice chairman. King is a former chairman of the Cleveland County Republican Party and a resident of Kings Mountain.
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