Advertisement Upstate sheriff explains his comments about NAACP Opponent doesn't like Sheriff Chuck Wright's comments on minority groups Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A man who is running against Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright is pointing out that in a recent podcast, the sheriff talked about the bathroom bill, but he also shared his feelings on the NAACP and other minority groups.Dimsdale Debate posted the video of Wright speaking that was recorded April 7 at the Greenville-Spartanburg Republican Women’s meeting at the Pelham-Batesville Fire Department.During the talk, Wright addressed several topics. The sheriff, who is known for being outspoken, said, among other things, “I think the most racist people in America right now sometimes are minorities, small group minorities.”“I've got a chaplain who works for me. He's an African-American, he is my brother and I love him more than anything.. He doesn't buy into that mess. A bunch of his friends don't either. They don't do the NAACP because I feel like that is a racist group as well as the KKK. I don’t care about them either. I don't want to be a part of no group that's got something to do just because of your color. I don't think they're right.“I think if we would quit worrying about Democrats or Republicans and just love our neighbors as God told us to, we're gonna be better. We're just gonna be better.”Russell Lynch, who is running against Sheriff Wright as an independent, responded to the comments saying, "Comments like this are not conducive to solving those problems and addressing those issues and building those relationships with anybody, minorities included. These kind of comments are not conducive with that happening. It's an embarrassment to a law enforcement for a law enforcement professional to sum a group like the NAACP up as being a racist organization."Lynch said he has a different opinion of the local branch of the NAACP."... It does trouble me," he said. "Because the group I've been dealing with in Spartanburg, they've been nothing but good people."Wright called Lynch's comments a "political bashing." "This is a political bashing, that's all it is, to try to stir up controversy to draw some attention," Wright said. "I don't care about any group of people who don't like people just because of whatever color God made you. I don't get into any group that does that. We have an NAACP here in Spartanburg that tries to help everybody. There's a very small group within that group. They're divisive, and I don't buy into that mess," Wright said. "I certainly wasn't pointing a finger at anybody. I don't care about any group or any person who doesn't respect you just because of whatever color God made you," Wright said. Wright is running for his 4th term as sheriff. Lynch and Wright are currently the only people in the race.