Several unopposed candidates also will be taking or returning to office
By From staff reports
Published in News on November 4, 2010 1:46 PM
Now that the dust from Tuesday's elections has settled and the night's winners and losers have been sorted out, there are some candidates still standing who received 100 percent -- or nearly 100 percent -- of their races' votes.
In Wayne County, these unopposed candidates who were granted another term are:
*Efton Sager, Republican, N.C. House District 11, 100 percent of the vote.
*Branny Vickory, Democrat, District Attorney District 8, 100 percent of the vote.
*Pam Minshew, Democrat, Clerk of Superior Court, 100 percent of the vote.
*Chris West, unaffiliated, Board of Education District 1, 96.36 percent of the vote, with write-in candidates receiving the other 3.64 percent.
*John Grantham, unaffiliated, Board of Education District 4, 96.51 percent of the vote, with write-in candidates receiving the other 3.49 percent.
Additionally, both Bryant Worley and Ronald Parks were elected to the Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors.
In Wayne County, 87.09 percent of those casting ballots voted for the constitutional amendment barring convicted felons from serving as sheriff, while 12.91 percent voted against it. The amendment passed the state overwhelmingly, approximately 85 percent to 15 percent.
Also across the state in the non-partisan judicial races, Barbara Jackson won a seat on the state Supreme Court, while Ann Marie Calabria, Rick Elmore, Martha Greer, Sanford Steelman and Beth Heath all retained their seats on the state Court of Appeals. In Wayne County, voters favored Ms. Jackson, Ms. Calabria, Steven Walker, Ms. Greer, Steelman and Ms. Heath.
Winning her seat back, Greer beat out Mount Olive resident Dean Poirer 53.01 percent to 46.99 percent -- 53.01 percent to 46.99 percent in Wayne County.
In Duplin County, county Commissioner Jessie Ladson of District 6, a Democrat appointed by the board earlier this year to fill the seat vacated by former Commissioner Reginald Wells -- also a Democrat -- was also unopposed on the ballot and will serve out the remainder of Wells' four-year term, ending in 2012.
The Duplin County Board of Education gained one new member following Emily Manning's decision not to run for re-election. Pam Edwards ran unopposed to win the District 3 school board seat.
School board members Chuck Farrior of District 4 and Jennings Outlaw of District 2 also ran unopposed races. The school board members serve four-year terms.
Duplin County Sheriff Blake Wallace, Clerk of Superior Court Katie Harrell and District 4 District Attorney candidate, assistant district attorney Ernie Lee -- who is stepping the the seat vacated by Dewey Hudson who run unsuccessfully for state Senate -- all also ran unopposed races.
In local judicial seats, Paul A. Hardison and Sarah C. Seaton both ran unopposed to reclaim their seats as District Court judges. Russell J. Lanier, Jr. ran unopposed for the Superior Court Judge District 4A seat.
On the state level, Duplin voters supported Robert Hunter for state Supreme Court, and Steelman, Jane Gray, Walker and Ms. Greer for state Court of Appeals.
Hunter and Ms. Gray both lost their races.
Ann H. Herring and Franklin O. Williams were elected as Soil and Water Conservation supervisors.
Duplin County voters also chose to support the state constitutional amendment.