Tuesday’s election brought little change to the makeup of local boards and the slate of representatives for the Cape Fear Region at the state level.
In a tight race for three seats on New Hanover County’s Board of Commissioners, Republican incumbents Bill Rivenbark and Dane Scalise and Democrat Stephanie Walker, a current member of the New Hanover County Board of Education, received top vote counts.
Rivenbark won 61,916 votes or 17.25% of the votes cast, Scalise received 60,559 or 16.87%, and Walker received 60,306 or 16.8%.
Coming in fourth with 249 fewer votes than Walker, Democratic incumbent Jonathan Barfield received 60,057 votes or 16.73% of the total. Barfield, the only Black board member during his tenure, was first elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2008 and served four terms.
The county still has about 1,500 absentee ballots scheduled for approval and counting Nov. 14, along with 1,912 provisional ballots received during in-person early voting and on Election Day, according to a county news release.
"Counting absentee and provisional ballots following Election Day is standard protocol. All absentee ballots received by Thursday, October 31 were approved by the Board of Elections as part of the absentee board review meetings held through Monday, November 4. All additional absentee ballots received on Friday, November 1, through the 7:30 p.m. Election Day deadline will be reviewed at the supplemental absentee board review meeting scheduled for Thursday, November 14," said Rae Hunter-Havens, director of the New Hanover County Board of Elections, in the release.
Overall, the vote counts are based on preliminary totals, which will be finalized during a statewide canvass Nov. 15. Per state statute, candidates can request a recount if race margins are within 1% of the total votes cast for any two candidates. The vote differences between Scalise, Walker and Barfield fall into this range. Candidates have until the end of the day Nov. 18 to ask for a recount.
The current top vote-getters would maintain the board’s political makeup of three Republicans and two Democrats. Rivenbark, Scalise and Walker would join the board’s Republican Vice Chair LeAnn Pierce and Democrat Rob Zapple.
Voters in Brunswick County re-elected three Republican incumbents to the county’s Board of Commissioners. Pat Sykes was elected to represent the county’s District 3 with 60,137 votes or 62.91% of the total, while voters elected incumbent Mike Forte to represent District 4 with 61,189 votes or 59.71%. Incumbent Frank Williams was re-elected to represent District 5 with 62,371 or 60.09% of the total.
Two Democrats and a Republican were elected to the New Hanover County Board of Education on Tuesday. Judy Justice, a former board member from 2018 to 2022, received the highest vote total with 62,631 votes or 17.42%. Democratic newcomer Tim Merrick won 60,830 votes or 16.92% of the total, while Republican newcomer David Perry received 60,069 or 16.71%.
The election results strengthen the Republican presence on the seven-member board. Perry is poised to join four sitting Republican members, including Board Chair Pete Wildeboer, Board Vice Chair Melissa Mason and members Josie Barnhart and Pat Bradford.
In other races for representatives in the North Carolina General Assembly and U.S. Congress, Republican incumbents prevailed.
Republican incumbent Michael Lee won a hotly contested race to represent District 7 in the North Carolina Senate, covering much of New Hanover County. Lee received 62,344 votes or 52.35% of the total votes, while Democratic challenger David Hill won 51,935 or 43.61%.
Incumbent Republican David Rouzer was re-elected to represent District 7 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Rouzer received 251,640 votes or 85.72% of the vote total, while Democratic challenger Marlando Pridgen won 176,917 or 41.28%.
Voters elected Republican incumbent Bill Rabon to represent District 8 in the North Carolina Senate. Rabon received 86,614 or 59.98% of the total vote, while Democratic challenger Katherine Randall received 57,787 votes or 40.02%.
Republican incumbent Ted Davis was also re-elected to represent District 20 in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Davis received 31,545 votes or 55.99%. Democratic challenger Jonathan Berger won 24,798 or 44.01% of the total vote.
Voters re-elected Charlie Miller, another Republican incumbent, to represent District 19 in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Miller received 40,970 votes, or 61.57% of the vote total. Democrat Jill Brown received 25,569 or 38.43%.
Voters re-elected Republican Frank Iler to represent District 17 in the North Carolina House of Representatives. He received 41,871 or 62.31% of the vote, while Charles Jones, a Democratic challenger, won 25,331 or 37.69%.
Democratic incumbent Deb Butler ran unopposed to represent District 18 in the North Carolina House of Representatives. She prevailed with 32,414 votes or 82.51% of the total.
