|  |  Sam Wins Primary!
 Sam and Rick Lanier congratulate each other just after final results were posted.
Sam finished #1 with 5450 votes.
For details of all precincts go to:
Primary Results
For additional photos of the GOP primary party go to:
Photo Gallery
By Kristen Johnson, Staff Writer - LEXINGTON
— The energy in the room was nearly tangible as more than 300 people waited anxiously at the Triad Inn to hear the most recent results from Tuesday’s primary elections. But things were going slowly. Too slowly.
“I think we’re back in the Ice Age,” quipped Davidson County Board of Commissioners Chairman Larry Potts with a grin.
Potts was stationed at a card table set up inside the conference room jotting results down on a ballot via cell phone conversation. The results were then taken to the front of the room and written on a dry-erase board, reminiscent of times when results had to be scrawled in chalk on chalkboards.
This is the first year North Carolina has mandated that counties must immediately report precinct results.
That mandate overloaded state computer systems as 100 counties sent in results nearly simultaneously, causing a delay in posting of Davidson County’s precinct results.
“Normally, we would have tallied votes first and sent them to Raleigh by Thursday,” said Davidson Coutny Board of Elections member Randy Cranford. “That would have given us time to break it down and post it on the Internet properly.”
“All precincts reported in by 10 p.m.,” said Ruth Huneycutt, director of the Davidson County Board of Elections. “But because of system problems, we had to enter everything into the system twice.
“It’s been a long night — and it’s not over yet.”
In spite of the foul-up, candidates were upbeat.
“It’s been tough, but we’ve pulled through,” said Roy Holman, Democratic candidate for Davidson County sheriff.
Holman, who will advance to November, said he was surprised to see that he was not only leading Democratic candidates, but that he was also in the lead over incumbent Sheriff Gerald Hege at that time.
And that means change is in the future for the county’s Democratic Party, according to Holman.
“The party has to reorganize and restructure itself,” Holman said. “Our strategy has got to change. We’ve got to come together as a whole, and we haven’t done that in past years.”
Hege, stationed with fellow Republican candidates at the Triad Inn, exuded confidence.
He challenged his opposition to “start talking numbers.”
“Eventually, the opposition will have to start talking about the crime rate,” Hege said. “I’ve dropped it 62 percent in this county.
Hege added he felt county residents should put the “three deputy thing” behind them.
“It’s time to move on. This is the night that whole thing gets put to rest,” Hege said.
Holman and Hege went head-to-head in 1998. Hege ultimately won, but Holman took 44 percent of the vote.
However, this year Holman was in the lead over Hege after results for only 15 precincts had been reported.
“That didn’t happen in 1998,” Holman said. “It’s very, very encouraging.”
Unofficial results posted at nearly midnight showed Holman receiving 78 percent — or 6,049 votes — of the Democratic vote, while Hege received 72 percent — or 8,749 votes — of the Republican vote.
Both will advance to the Nov.5 general election.
“It will be tight in November,” Holman said. “It’s going to be close — but I feel like I’ve got a good opportunity to win.”
Other Democratic candidates each received less than 10 percent of the vote.
Freddie Huff received 8 percent of the Democratic vote, while competitors Terry Atkins and Don Swink each received 5 percent of that party’s vote. John Cox received just 3 percent of the vote.
Results for other Republican candidates showed more of a disparity. Wayne Littleton received 14 percent of the vote, while Doug Norman receieved 8 percent and Charlie Hayworth just 6 percent.
Eighteen candidates signed up to fight for four seats being vacated on the Davidson County Board of Commissioners. Just eight — four from each party — will advance to November.
Unofficial results showed two of three incumbents running for re-election obtained enough votes to earn a spot on the November ballot.
Republican Rick Lanier will be one of those incumbents touting victory during this evening’s commissioner’s meeting.
Lanier — who predicted with a grin that today would find him either “licking my wounds or touting victory” — managed to garner 11 percent of the Republican vote, or 4,546 votes to just edge fellow incumbent Fred McClure by three votes.
“Regardless, I’ll be sleeping in tomorrow,” the incumbent said with a wan smile. “I’m about beat.”
Fellow Republican incumbent Cindy Akins garnered 5,014 votes, or 12 percent of the Republican vote.
“I’m real excited, and a bit confident,” Akins said early in the evening. “Right now, I’m a high fifth, and that’s not counting all the results.”
Overall, Lanier came in fourth behind Don Truell, Akins and front-runner Sam Watford.
Watford and Truell were both endorsed by Hege earlier in the abbreviated campaign season.
Watford came away from the evening with the most Republican votes — 5,450, or 13 percent.
“Oh, there’s no doubt Hege’s influence helped me out,” a confident Watford said in the lobby area at the Triad Inn. “No doubt at all.”
“I do hope we clean house,” a sunburnt Truell said early in the evening. “We need a whole new set of commissioners, and we need to revisit some issues.”
Democrats Max Walser, Loretta Martin, Watson Gregg, and Charles Kennedy Jr. will advance to November as well.
Walser gained 26 percent, or 6,565 votes, of the Democratic vote.
“I’m just delighted that people have that kind of confidence in me,” Walser said outside the commissioner’s meeting room in the county Governmental Center.
Walser said he’d focus on garnering more support from both parties over the next two months.
“I look forward to November,” he said. “It’s going to be great.”
Martin came in a close second with 22 percent, or 5,445 votes.
“I’ve got the confidence of the voters,” Martin said happily as she watched results appear at Jimmy’s Barbecue. “I’m not going to waste opportunities over the next two months. There’s a lot of work to do.”
Watson Gregg, who was not available for comment Tuesday night, garnered 18 percent of the Democratic vote, or 4,499 votes.
Fellow Democrat Charles Kennedy Jr. garnered 14 percent, or 3,588 votes.
“People just want a change,” Kennedy said quietly from his post outside Jimmy’s. “The citizens are ready for a change, and I’m going to work to make sure they get it.”
Unofficial results showed incumbent Republican Fred McClure had 4,343. Nonetheless, McClure came in fifth, with 11 percent. He will not advance to November.
Competitors Reid Sink Jr. and John Faust came in sixth and seventh, respectively. Each garnered 10 percent of the Republican vote.
David Miller, current finance officer for the Davidson County School system, gained 7 percent of the vote, as did competitor Paul Housand. Jeremy Kennedy and Edwin Brown both earned 3 percent, while Bailey Parsons earned just 2 percent.
Democratic candidate Charles Mode came in fifth with 12 percent, or 3,117 votes, while Thomas Lashon came in sixth with just 8 percent, or 2,023 votes.
The N.C. Senate race proved to be no sweat for incumbent Stan Bingham (R-Denton), won another term in the newly formed 33rd district senator with 73 percent of the vote. He defeated Ron Coleman, who gained just 27 percent, or 2,925 votes.
There is no Democratic opposition in the November election for the Senate spot.
Cynthia Garner Barnhill defeated competitors April Wood and Mark Culler in Davidson County for the 22nd District Judge. However, totals were unknown from Iredell, Davie and Alexander counties — also in the 22nd Judicial District.
Barnhill garnered 49 percent, or 9,160 votes, while Wood gained 39 percent, or 7,222 votes. Incumbent Culler, who withdrew from the race but not in time to have his name removed from ballots, gained 12 percent, or 2,256 votes.
Republican Elizabeth Dole and Democrat Erskine Bowles will each advance to November, and will compete to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate.
Dole garnered 57 percent of the county’s Republican vote — more than 70 percent statewide — defeating competitor Jim Snyder, who garnered 40 percent of that party’s vote. Bowles earned 60 percent of the Democratic vote.
12th District incumbent U.S. Rep. Mel Watt earned a place on the November ballot after defeating competitor Kim Holley.
“I didn’t know what to expect this year, and I’ve been here for 30 years,” Huneycutt said. “It’s been interesting.”
Staff writer Kristen Johnson can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 232, or at johnson@tvilletimes.com. Click here for next article | |
