Commissioner Plyler confirms retirement plans, won’t seek reelection

Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 21, 2024

After thoughtful consideration, County Commissioner David R. Plyler has decided that he will retire from service with Forsyth County, as originally planned, on June 30 and will not seek reelection.

Plyler, 85, announced his retirement on Feb. 8 of this year.

When he made that decision, it was too late to change the ballots for primary voting, so his name remained on the ballot for District B county commissioner. He came in third among Republican candidates, which would normally mean he would be part of the General Election contest in November.

In a news interview after the primary, Plyler indicated he’d changed his mind about retirement after seeing the election results.

After thoughtful consideration, Plyler has decided that with the health issues he’s facing, his retirement is still the best thing to do for his family and himself. He has formally submitted a letter to be withdrawn from November’s ballot to the Forsyth County Board of Elections.

The Forsyth County Board of Elections voted today to accept Plyler’s request to withdraw as a candidate for county commissioner.  The Forsyth County Republican Party Executive Committee will meet shortly to decide whom it will choose to be the party’s third nominee for commissioner on the November ballot. The Republican Party Executive Committee will also need to appoint a new commissioner to serve the remainder of Commissioner Plyler’s term from July through Dec. 2.

Plyler was first elected as a commissioner in 1994, after a distinguished career as a local radio and television broadcaster. He served as chairman of the board of commissioners for 10 years.