MOMEYER — The head of North Carolina’s Republican Party laid out an ambitious plan Thursday night to claim GOP majorities in Congress, the N.C. General Assembly and all the way down to the Nash County Board of Commissioners.

Speaking at the annual Nash County Republican Party Convention, N.C. GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer called the upcoming election cycle “an historic opportunity” for the party.

“If you support our candidates for state and federal office — if you do those things, all you other folks running for county commissioners and other offices can just focus on winning over conservative Democrats and independents,” Fetzer said. “Because the party at the state level is going to turn out the Republican base in 2010, I can promise you that.”

Buoyed by recent GOP victories in Massachusetts and New Jersey, North Carolina Republicans hope to tap into growing public discontent with the federal government to win seats in Washington, Raleigh and local governments.

More than 125 people attended the annual convention, which was moved from its traditional location at the Nash County courthouse to the Momeyer Ruritan Club to accommodate dozens of new party activists, Nash County GOP Chairman Mark Edwards said. Less than 25 people attended the convention last year.

Citing growing support for the Republican Party and a surge in conservative candidates, Fetzer said he’s confident his party can win its first majority in the N.C. General Assembly in more than 110 years.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Fetzer said.

Local party officials also said they hope reenergized conservative activism will give Republicans their first-ever majority on the Nash County Board of Commissioners. Democrats hold a 4-3 majority on that board, but with Democrat Mary Wells challenged by Republican Doug Starr, the board’s Republican Chairman Robbie Davis said he hopes to make history.

“When I started, there was one Republican on the board,” said Davis, who is running unopposed for re-election. “Now we have three, but quite frankly, we’re not quite satisfied with that total.”

The renewed interest in the local Republican Party is paralleled by the nationwide growth of grassroots conservatism — anchored by the Tea Party movement — that has risen in recent months against President Barack Obama’s ambitious domestic agenda to stabilize the economy and reform health care.

That’s why Renee Ellmers, a 46-year-old nurse from Dunn, filed to run this year against U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, D-2nd District. She’s one of three Republicans vying for the seat.

“It’s health care,” Ellmers said. “I think that’s why you see so many people out here tonight. That’s why I’m here.”

Fetzer seemed to agree. He said the health care battle in Washington would sink Democrats. Fetzer spoke frankly to a room filled with mostly middle-aged and elderly residents.

“If you are over 65 years old, you better be concerned about what’s in that (health care) bill, because they don’t care about you,” Fetzer said. “They want to transfer care from you to young people because that’s who will vote for them.”

Among the first-time attendees at the convention, many said they felt a need to get involved to “reclaim their nation.” Others in the crowd said they were fed up with spending in Washington and corruption in Raleigh.

Former Rocky Mount City Council candidate Mike Armstrong was at the meeting spreading the word about a new Rocky Mount Tea Party group he had helped form.

Herbert Moore was among a group of political activists from the Oak Level community who said they want to see the state’s forced annexation laws changed. They believe Republican candidates are the one’s to do it, he said.

“I’ve never been involved in politics before this,” Moore said.

More than 15 Republican candidates spoke at the convention, giving their pitches for how they’ll best represent the party come November.

Among those in attendance was Republican Jeff Collins, who filed to challenge N.C. Rep. Randy Stewart, D-Nash for the District 25 seat. Fetzer singled out the seat last year as one he thinks Republicans can reclaim this election.

The three Republicans who filed to run against N.C. Sen. A.B. Swindell — Buck Newton, Randy Johnson and Donnie Weaver — also were represented at the meeting. Swindell, D-Nash, faces his own primary election against right-leaning Democrat Dennis Nielsen.

Fetzer said he was pleased by how many conservative candidates had filed to run in Nash County and statewide. In order to win, Fetzer said, Republicans need not only to volunteer but also to open their wallets and support the party.

That’s what the Democrats did in 2008, Fetzer said.

“That’s how we’re going to turn this excitement into results,” Fetzer said. “We have to step up as a party. We have to raise the money. ... We have to do exactly what (the Democrats) did.”