Challengers score upset wins

Challengers fared well Tuesday as voters trickled in and out of Twin Counties polling sites to choose new municipal leaders.

Ten towns in Nash and Edgecombe counties held contested races for town board or mayoral seats. Of the contested races completed by presstime, 10 seats were won by challengers, and 10 seats were won by incumbents.

“It’s always atypical when a lot of challengers win,” N.C. Wesleyan political science professor Dr. Cameron Matthews said. “That’s atypical at any level, but especially at the local level; you expect incumbents to win because name identification is so important.”

The trend of challenger victories was most notable in Tarboro and Princeville, where six challengers swept all six contested races by large margins. The two towns led the Twin Counties in turnout, with both drawing more than 25 percent of registered voters, according to complete but unofficial election results.

“You would expect challengers to win if turnout is higher than expected,” Matthews said. “You could reasonably argue the excess turnout is due to people coming out to support the challenger, the alternative, the voice of change, so to speak.”

Nash County posted lower than 12 percent turnout countywide, while Edgecombe County reported turnout at more than 22 percent.

Election officials will work today to finalize results in two town elections dominated by write-ins.

Only one candidate, Shirley Perry Brownell, filed for one of four open seats on the Speed Board of Commissioners, leaving three seats open to write-ins. Also in Speed, no candidates filed to run for mayor. The write-in who earned the most out of 13 write-in ballots cast Tuesday will be mayor, Edgecombe County elections officials said.

In Castalia, more votes were cast for write-in candidates than any of the three candidates running for the board of commissioners. Nash County election officials will tally the votes today to see which candidate will join Clarence Bender, high vote-getter among voters on the ballot.

No major problems were reported at voting sites in either county.