ROCKINGHAM — There will be no change on the Richmond County Board of Education.
All three incumbents — Ronald Tillman, Wiley Mabe and Jerry Ethridge — came out ahead of challengers Connie Poole and David McGuire in Tuesday’s election.
All three candidates were at the Richmond County Board of Elections as the results slowly trickled in precinct by precinct and congratulated each other when it was clear they had won.
Tillman led the pack with 4,504 votes (27.63%), followed by Mabe (24.67%) and Ethridge (23.67%).
Nine candidates were in the running to be among the six on November’s ballot for the Richmond County Board of Commissioners. The top three vote-getters from each the Republican and Democratic primaries will move on.
On the Democratic side, Michael Legrand pulled in a total of 2,889 votes (31.04%), followed by Commissioner Jimmy Capps with 2,271 ((24.4%).
The closest race of the night was for that third spot.
Dewey Brower and Susan Bruce ran neck and neck for most of the night, starting with a four-vote margin in favor of Brower from the early voting numbers.
At one point, as the precincts called in their votes, Bruce pulled ahead. However, Brower ended the night with a 55-vote lead over Bruce (1,554 to 1,499).
Candidate Kevin Clark, who was the only commissioner candidate aside from Legrand at the BOE, had 1,094 votes.
In the Republican primary, former Ellerbe mayor Lee Berry brought in 2,333 votes (34.29 percent). Joining him in November will be Jeff Smart (28.9%) and Andy Grooms (19.27%).
Jim Entwistle had 17.54% of the vote.
Those six will face off in November for three seats, currently held by Capps, Kenneth Robinette and John Garner. Robinette and Garner did not file for reelection.
Commissioner Ben Moss won the Republican primary for the N.C. House District 66 race against Joey Davis. Although Davis won both Montgomery and Stanly counties, Moss’ support in Richmond was enough to put him ahead by 847 votes.
Davis secured nearly 47% of the vote in 2018 when he ran against former Rep. Ken Goodman, who has since been appointed to the N.C. Industrial Commission.
Moss will go on to face Rep. Scott Brewer, also from Richmond County, who was appointed to fill out the remainder of Goodman’s term.
In the Democratic primary for the presidential race, former vice president Joe Biden was overwhelmingly supported in Richmond County with 53.81% of the vote. The next closest candidates were Bernie Sanders (14.11%) and Michael Bloomberg (14.09%).
Of the only two candidates left in the Democratic race, Elizabeth Warren had 3.55% of the vote while Tulsi Gabbard only secured 1.173%.
President Donald Trump won the Republican primary hands down with 96.6 percent of the vote. More voters chose no preference (45) than challengers Joe Walsh (30, who had already dropped out) or Bill Weld (17).
Only 11 people voted in the Libertarian primary. Six of them chose no preference from the field of 16 candidates. Jacob Hornberger received two votes, while Steve Richey, Kim Ruff (who dropped out) and Ken Armstrong received one vote each.
Records show one person voted in the Constitution Party’s closed primary, but no votes for either Don Blankenship or Charles Kraut are recorded.
For more state and federal race results, visit the county site (http://152.28.194.177/election2020primary.htm) or the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
The results are unofficial until canvassing on March 13.
