Joe Scott elected mayor of Mount Olive
By Steve Herring
Published in News on November 7, 2017 11:46 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
People campaign for candidates on Election Day in front of the old train depot in Mount Olive with hopes of getting a few votes from people who are undecided.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Signs are lined up around the old train depot in Mount Olive on election day.
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Joe Scott
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Stanley Stedner helps voters in the drive-through lane Tuesday in Mount Olive. Stedner has been helping on Election Day for over six years.
Mount Olive Mayor-elect Joe Scott said he was working the polls Tuesday morning when a woman came up to him and asked him what he was doing there.
He explained that he was concerned about the outcome of Tuesday's election. She told him she had so much confidence in him that he could have stayed home and still won.
And win Scott, the current mayor pro tem, did by almost a two-to-one margin over former town commissioner Jesse "Jack" Faison.
Scott pulled in 66.44 percent of the total with 384 votes to Faison's 160. James H. Mayo Jr. had 29 votes and there were five write-ins.
Longtime mayor Ray McDonald Sr. did not seek re-election.
Mount Olive's election was one of several municipal elections countywide. Five sanitary district held elections as well.
Tuesday's election resulted in several other changes to the Mount Olive Town Board.
Challenger Steve Wiggins unseated At-large Commissioner Jerry Harper by a margin of 341 votes (59.41 percent) to 232 (40.42 percent). There was one write-in vote.
In District 1, Vicky Darden defeated Hobert Yates, 77 votes (60.63 percent) to 49 (38.58 percent). There was one write-in. Incumbent Commissioner Kenny Talton did not seek re-election.
Scott said he had felt that he would win, but had still been surprised by the margin.
"The people spoke, and I am just humbled," he said.
The new board members will take office Monday, Dec. 4.
In unopposed Mount Olive Town Board races:
* Incumbent Harlie Junior Carmichael, District 2, had 108 votes. There were 14 write-ins.
* Incumbent Barbara Kornegay, District 3, received 131 votes. There were nine write-ins.
* The Rev. Dennis Draper, District 4, received 130 votes. There were 11 write-ins.
All of the results are unofficial until the county canvass at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, at the Wayne County Board of Elections office, 209 S. William St.
Other municipal election results include:
* Walnut Creek: Two council seats. Councilman Pete Benton had 53 votes and John Seegars had 51. There were six write-ins.
* Seven Springs: Mayor Stephen Potter had 11 votes in his unopposed re-election bid. There was one write-in. Commissioners John Lee had 14 votes and Ronda Hughes had 11 in their unopposed re-election bids. No one filed for the unexpired term of Lisa Cash that is being completed by Commissioner Robert Alan Cash. There were 10 write-ins.
* Pikeville: Charles Hooks III won the mayor's seat with 64 votes. He was unopposed. There were 11 write-in votes. Jimmy Gardner had 51 votes and Russell Carpenter had 36 to win the two board seats. Incumbent board member Michael Herring had 28 vote and Eric Snoddy had 21. There eight write-in votes.
* Eureka: No one filed for mayor or the two town board seats. They will be filled by write-in votes that were not available as of press time Tuesday night.
The sanitary districts elections are:
* Belfast-Patetown: Six people filed for the five board seats and all five incumbents won re-election by the following totals -- Ben Casey, 142 votes; Ray Sullivan, 129; Landis H. Davis, 104; Dawn Anderson, 96; and Fred J. Newcomb, 93. Challenger C.L. Minchew had 47 votes. There were 14 write-ins.
* Eastern Wayne: Four candidates filed for five board seats. The totals were Brandon Gray incumbent with 147 votes, Daryl Ray Anderson, 1435 votes, incumbent Ervin Watts, 112, and Anthony L. Smith, 76.
* Fork Township: Four candidates filed for three board seats with incumbents Danny F. Hope, 100 votes, Henry Braswell, 84 votes, and Tim Gardner, 78 votes, winning re-election. Dan E. Seymour had 47 votes. There wqere 316 write-in votes
* Southeastern Wayne: Six candidates filed for five board seats with three of the five incumbents winning re-election. Incumbent Charlie M. Holloway had 65 votes to lead the voting followed by challengers Debony T. Jones with 64 and Philip Shivar with 49 and incumbents Bobby Outlaw, 43, and James A. Taylor, 41. Incumbent board member Rudy Peedin had 30 votes. There were three write-ins. Board member Albert Williams Jr. did not seek re-election.
* Southern Wayne: Incumbents Sally R. Bowles with 50 votes, and Gary Scott with 45 were the only two to file for the two board seats. There were six write-ins.
Countywide only 1,538 out of 34,503 eligible voters (4.46 percent) cast ballots.