Longtime Democratic political consultant Conen Morgan dies in boating accident
Political consultant Conen Morgan had long advised Democratic candidates and officeholders in North Carolina.
North Carolina Democratic political consultant Conen Morgan died in a boating accident on Sunday, according to House Minority Leader Robert Reives.
Cape Lookout National Seashore, declined to release a victim’s name but confirmed an incident happened along the Outer Banks of North Carolina that resulted in the death of a male in their mid-40s, matching the description of Morgan.
The National Park Service, which oversees the stretch of water by Shackleford Banks where Morgan died, is leading an ongoing investigation into the incident.
Nate Toering, chief of interpretation and education for Cape Lookout National Seashore, said in an interview that a boat with three passengers was struck around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, causing all three individuals to be ejected. At the time, there were winds coming from the south-southwest of 8-16 miles per hour and wave swells of 7-9 feet.
“It was fairly rough conditions,” Toering said.
The individuals then reached the ocean-facing shore and a 9-1-1 call for help was placed at 4:47 p.m. Park rangers then arrived on site within 15 minutes to provide initial medical support and locate the stranded boat, according to Toering.
At least one of the two surviving passengers was providing immediate CPR at the time first responders arrived.
The Beaufort Fire Department and Harkers Island Fire Rescue later arrived to take over medical care. After about an hour of CPR, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and the individual was later pronounced dead, Toering said.
News of Morgan’s death was widely shared by Reives on Monday morning.
Morgan had long advised political candidates and officeholders in the state. Reactions to his death quickly poured in from some of the state’s top Democratic leaders.
“Conen Morgan’s hard work and determination made a real, positive difference for people of North Carolina,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement on Twitter. “His loss is a tragedy and we send our deepest sympathy to his family and friends.”
“This is tragic,” Attorney General Josh Stein said of Morgan’s death. “Conen Morgan was a great person— always positive, always constructive, always kind. I am heartbroken at his death and send love and prayers to his family and friends. May his memory be a blessing.”
Reives added, “I am heartbroken to learn about the passing of Conen Morgan, well before his time. He was a fixture in North Carolina politics and my prayers are with his family right now. He will truly be missed.”
Morgan was initially raised in North Carolina by a single mother who worked multiple jobs to support the family. As he grew older, Morgan developed a passion for math and science.
After getting a computer science degree from North Carolina State University in 2005, Morgan became very active in state politics.
Morgan served as president of Young Democrats of North Carolina from 2009 to 2011 and was later incredibly active in supporting candidates through consulting work.
He also volunteered with the North Carolina Science Olympiad, a group that works to encourage K-12 students in the state to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
"I want to be the next Michael Bloomberg… nothing too serious… businessman, politician, philanthropist, millionaire…,” Morgan told his alma mater at the time.
Since 2016, Morgan served as a board member for Advance Carolina, a nonprofit group that works to build political and economic power for Black North Carolinians.
The Wake County resident practiced and preached the importance of voting, casting ballots in 32 elections municipal, runoff, primaries and general elections since 2000, according to state voting records.
In 2015, Morgan married Reyna Walters Morgan, who now serves as director of civic engagement and voter protection for the Democratic National Committee. Walters Morgan didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on her husband’s death or funeral arrangement plans.
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