ELIZABETHTOWN — Republicans maintained their 5-4 majority on the Board of Commissioners in Bladen County, and Sheriff Jim McVicker will remain the county’s top law enforcement officer.
In the race for sheriff, 29-year-old Council Democrat Hakeem Brown sought to take the seat of four-year Republican incumbent Jim McVicker, a lawman with 43 years experience. Once thought to be a close race, McVicker captured more than 55 percent of the votes to easily outdistance the former Bladen deputy.
In early voting and absentee ballots, McVicker captured 52 percent.
Commissioners races, which included Arthur Bullock running unopposed in District 1, returned Republican Charles Ray Peterson and Democrat Russell Priest back to the board. Peterson won easily over Dawson Singletary, capturing 65 percent of the vote. Priest had more than 52 percent of the vote in his race with Wayne Edge.
Democrat Tim Benton lost his seat on the school board to Cory L. Singletary while Republican Dennis Edwards and Democrat Vince Rozier kept theirs in the at-large race. Edwards led the group with 40 percent of the vote, followed by Singletary with 24 percent and Rozier with 21 percent. Benton had 15 percent of the vote.
The other Board of Education seats were all uncontested. Democrats Gary Rhoda in District 1, Roger Carroll in District 2 and Alan West in District 3 will remain on the board.
Beverly T. Parks, a Democrat, retained her seat as register of deeds. She won more than 56 percent of the vote against Republican challenger Jason Britt.
Earl Storms will be the district supervisor for Soil & Water Conservation. He took nearly 41 percent of the votes in a race against Charles Gillespie (almost 31 percent) and Tim Gause (27 percent). This is a nonpartisan office.
For the sixth time since 2010, Bladen County soundly nixed the quarter-cent sales tax, which would have benefited education this time around. Similar to previous results, nearly 68 percent gave it the ax.
Niki Dennis ran unopposed for the clerk of Superior Court, as did Kennth Clark for coronoer and Jon David for district attorney.
Voters said yes to four of the six referenda placed on the ballot by the Republican-led General Assembly. Chief among them was the requirement of a photo ID to vote. The others were a lower the cap on income tax rates; expanding crime victims’ rights; and enshrining the right to hunt and fish.
Failing were amendments shifting power to legislators from the governor for judicial vacancies and the state elections board.
North Carolina Democrats have won enough state House seats to end the Republicans’ veto-proof control, handing Gov. Roy Cooper more leverage to fight right-leaning policies and press his agenda.
Democrats won at least 49 of 120 House seats — one more than was needed to end the GOP’s supermajority in the chamber. The supermajority had allowed Republicans to override Cooper vetoes at will.
With results still being counted at midnight, Democrats could strengthen their hand further if they pick up enough Senate seats to end the GOP’s supermajority there.
Nationally, Democrats were on track to gain House control but Republicans held their Senate majority as voters rendered a mixed verdict in the first nationwide election of Donald Trump’s turbulent presidency.
The Democrats picked up the 23 seats they would need to take from the GOP, but were still short of the 218 total to take control with more races still undecided.
The results allowed both parties to claim partial victory, but highlighted an extraordinary realignment of U.S. voters by race, sex and education. Republicans maintained their strength in conservative, rural states, while Democrats made inroads across America’s suburbs.
In other contests:
• U.S. House District 7: Republican David Rouzer captured more than 55 percent of the vote to outdistance Democrat Kyle Horton and Constitution Party member David W. Fallin.
• U.S. House District 9: Republican Mark Harris narrowly defeated Democrat Dan McCready, winning 49.43 percent of the vote to McCready’s 48.77 percent. The separation was less than 2,000 votes from the nearly 280,000 cast.
• State Senate District 8: Republican Bill Rabon won more than 58 percent of the vote to easily defeat Democrat David W. Sink Jr. and Libertarian Anthony H. Mascolo.
• N.C. House of Representatives District 22: Republican William Brisson earned more than 56 percent of the vote agaisnt Democrat Tony Denning.