Duplin candidates ride Republican wave
By Catharin Shepard
Published in News on November 3, 2010 1:46 PM
Republicans will represent Duplin County in the North Carolina General Assembly after winning district seats previously held by Democrats.
Republican Brent Jackson carried the state Senate District 10 vote, winning the seat with 52.58 percent of votes over District Attorney Dewey Hudson, a Democrat. Jackson received a majority, 51.62 percent of Duplin County votes, for the seat vacated by Charlie Albertson, a Democrat. State Senate District 10 includes parts of Duplin, Lenoir and Sampson counties. Jackson will serve a two-year term. Jackson received 6,785 votes and Hudson received 6,358 votes in Duplin County.
Republican Jimmy Dixon carried the State House of Representatives District 4 vote, winning the seat with 51.46 percent of district votes over Democrat Mott Blair. Blair received a majority, 51.96 percent of Duplin County votes, for the seat vacated by Russell E. Tucker, a Democrat. State House District 4 includes parts of Duplin and Onslow counties. Dixon will serve a two-year term. Dixon received 6,189 votes and Blair received 6,967 votes in Duplin County.
In county government races, Tim Smith, a Democrat, ousted incumbent Duplin County commission Chairman Cary Turner, unaffiliated, for the District 2 Board of Commissioners seat. Smith received 53.67 percent of votes. Smith received 862 votes and Turner received 744 votes.
Incumbent Commissioner Harold Raynor, a Republican, defended his District 3 seat on the Duplin County Board of Commissioners against challenger Democrat Ronnie "Geno" Kennedy Jr. Raynor received 61.37 percent of the votes over Kennedy Raynor received 1,525 votes and Kennedy received 960 votes.
With all 19 precincts reporting in, 60.12 percent of Duplin County straight ticket voters cast ballots for Democrats, with 39.39 percent casing straight ticket votes for Republicans and .49 percent voting a Libertarian straight ticket.
Duplin voters selected Republican Richard Burr over Democrat Elaine Marshall for the U.S. Senate. Burr received 55.34 percent of county voters' ballots and won the seat.
Republican Walter B. Jones received 79.89 percent of the Duplin County vote over Democrat Johnny Rouse and Libertarian Darryl Holloman in his bid for the U.S. House of Representatives District 3 seat.
Democrat Mike McIntyre carried Duplin County with 60.67 percent of the Duplin County vote over Republican Ilario Pantano in the contest for U.S. House of Representatives District 7. McIntyre received 5,790 votes and Pantano received 3,754 votes. McIntyre won the seat.