A version of this story was published in The Sylva Herald March 4, 2020 edition with a shared by-line with Dave Russell
Super Tuesday 2020 came and went in Jackson County, across North Carolina and in 13 other states and American Samoa.
Voters standing in line Tuesday at the Jackson County Recreation Complex. Photo by Cameron Huffman.
Jackson County saw 9,243 residents (of 27,786 registered voters, or 33.26 percent) cast ballots Tuesday, with two local races decided.
In the presidential primary President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden carried North Carolina.
In Jackson County, Trump received 3,107 votes (93.11 percent) in the GOP primary; followed by 90 voters (2.7 percent) choosing no preference. Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh, who on Feb. 7 suspended his campaign, garnered 74 votes (2.22 percent) and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, 66 votes (1.98 percent).
Among Democrats, Biden carried Jackson County with 1,846 votes (31.97 percent); Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders received 1,844 votes (31.93 percent); Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren received 676 votes (11.71 percent); former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg received 472 votes (8.17 percent); Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Ind., who dropped out of the race on March 1, received 267 votes (4.62 percent); businessman Tom Steyer, who dropped out Feb. 29, received 214 votes (3.71 percent); Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who dropped out on March 2, received 193 votes (3.34 percent); no preference was chosen by 140 voters for 2.42 percent); Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard received 58 votes (1 percent); John Delaney, who dropped out several months ago, received 19 votes (.33 percent); Andrew Yang, who dropped out of the race on Feb. 11, received 18 (.31 percent). Others who previously dropped out and their vote totals here were: Marianne Williamson, nine votes (.16 percent); Deval Patrick, seven votes (.12 percent); Michael Bennet, seven votes (.12 percent); Cory Booker, three votes (.05 percent); and Julián Castro, two votes (.03 percent).
Among 16 candidates, no preference carried the state in the Libertarian presidential primary with 2,060 votes (29.79 percent), with Jacob Hornberger taking 604 (8.74 percent) votes. In Jackson County, no preference was selected by 15 voters for 48.39 percent, followed by three candidates – Vermin Supreme, Souraya Faas, John McAfee – who each received 3 votes (9.68 percent). Eight of the candidates received no votes.
Howie Hawkins carried the state for the Green Party. He had his party’s only two votes in Jackson County. The only other option party members had was no preference, which no voters selected.
For the Constitution Party in Jackson County, no preference had the sole vote over Don Blankenship and Charles Kraut. No preference also had the most votes statewide.
Mike Clampitt, with 4,192 votes for 61.60 percent, won the GOP nomination for N.C. House for District 119, beating Jackson County Commissioner Ron Mau (2,613 votes for 38.4 percent). In Jackson County, Clampitt received 1,701 votes (51.84 percent); Mau received 1,580 votes (48.16 percent).
Clampitt will face Democrat Joe Sam Queen in November.
Moe Davis took the top spot in the Democratic race for the U.S. House District 11 seat. District-wide, Davis received 52,665 votes (47.35 percent). In Jackson County, Davis had 2,419 votes (43.93 percent); Gina Collias received 1,130 votes (20.52 percent); Phillip Price received 917 votes (16.65 percent); Michael O’Shea received 570 votes (10.35 percent); and Steve Woodsmall received 470 votes (8.54 percent).
On the Republican side of the District 11 race, Lynda Bennett (20,510 votes, 22.72 percent) and Madison Cawthorn (18,418 votes, 20.4 percent) would be headed for a runoff in May should Cawthorn call for one. Macon County Republican Jim Davis with 17,400 votes (19.27 percent) followed them. In Jackson County, Davis, now a state senator, received 1,197 votes (36.41 percent); Bennett received 755 votes (22.96 percent), Cawthorn brought in 366 votes for 11.13 percent.
Other candidates in that race were Joey Osborne (308 votes, 9.37 percent); Dan Driscoll received 282 votes (8.58 percent); Chuck Archerd received 163 votes (4.96 percent); Wayne King received 110 votes (3.35 percent); Vance Patterson received 51 votes (1.55 percent); Matthew Burril received 21 votes (.64 percent); Dillon Gentry received 17 votes (.52 percent); Albert Wiley received 10 votes (.3 percent); and Steven Fekete received eight votes (.24 percent).
For N.C. State Senate District 50, Republican Kevin Corbin garnered 19,991 votes (78.15 percent) to defeat Sarah Conway, who had 5,588 votes (21.85 percent) district wide. In Jackson County, Corbin drew 2,349 votes (73.68 percent) to Conway’s 839 votes (26.32 percent). Corbin will face Democrat Victoria Fox, who was unopposed in the primary.
For governor, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest won the Republican primary. In Jackson County, he received 2,848 votes (86.72 percent); Holly Grange received 436 votes (13.28 percent).
Forest will take on sitting Gov. Roy Cooper this fall. In Jackson County, Cooper received 4,781 votes in the Democratic primary (84.54 percent) to challenger Ernest Reeves’ 874 votes (15.46 percent).
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis won the Republican nomination to run for a second term. Locally, Tillis received 2,500 votes (76.15 percent); Paul Wright received 269 votes (8.19 percent); Larry Holmquist received 268 votes (8.16 percent); and Sharon Hudson received 246 votes (7.49 percent).
Cal Cunningham will be Tillis’ Democratic opponent this fall. He received 3,438 votes (62.04 percent) in the county; Erica Smith received 1,547 votes (27.91 percent); Trevor Fuller received 205 votes (3.7 percent); Steve Swenson received 182 votes (3.28 percent); and Atul Goel received 170 votes (3.07 percent).
Yvonne Lewis Holley led the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor. In Jackson County, Terry Van Duyn received 1,626 votes (3132 percent); Holley received 1,380 (26.58 percent); Allen Thomas received 765 votes (14.73 percent); Chaz Beasley received 532 votes (10.25 percent); Bill Toole received 485 votes (9.34 percent); and Ron Newton received 404 votes (7.78 percent). There would be a runoff between Van Duyn and Holley should Van Duyn call for one.
The GOP lieutenant governor field was similarly crowded, with Mark Robinson coming out on top. He received 926 votes (29.72 percent) in Jackson County. Mark Johnson received 472 votes (15.15 percent); John Ritter received 407 votes (13.06 percent); Buddy Bengel received 291 votes (9.34 percent); Greg Gebhardt received 257 votes (8.25 percent); Deborah Cochran received 244 votes (7.83 percent); Andy Wells received 192 votes (6.16 percent); Scott Stone received 173 votes (5.55 percent); and Renee Ellmers received 154 votes (4.94 percent).
Catherine Truitt won the GOP nomination for superintendent of public instruction. In Jackson County, she received 1,696 votes (55.44 percent); challenger Craig Horn had 1,363 votes (44.56 percent).
Truitt will face Democrat Jen Mangrum in November. She carried Jackson County with 1,983 votes (38.45 percent); Lav Johnson received 971 votes (18.83 percent); Keith Sutton received 895 votes (17.36 percent); Michael Maher received 716 votes (13.88 percent); James Barrett received 592 votes (11.48 percent).
On the local Jackson County races here is the vote tally.
Wes Jamison returns to the Jackson County Board of Education District 3 (Webster, Savannah and Greens Creek precincts) with 7,851 votes (98.48 percent). He was unopposed, but there were 121 write-in votes.
Elizabeth Cooper retakes her District 1 (Qualla, Barkers Creek and Dillsboro) seat on the board, taking 5,592 votes (66.49 percent) to defeat Shane Danner, who had 2,757 votes (32.78 percent). There were 61 write-in votes (.73 percent).
The primary serves as the general election for the non-partisan school board races.
In the other Jackson County race, Democrat Susan Bogardus received 2,263 votes (42.02 percent) in the County Commission District 3 race. Cody Lewis garnered 1,872 votes (34.76 percent) and Brad Stillwell received 1,250 votes (23.21 percent). In November, Bogardus will face off against Republican Tom Stribling for the commission seat now held by Ron Mau.
