Primaries are over and we can relax from the campaign signs, TV and social media adds at least for a bit in the spring.
Here are the unofficial early election results from Jackson County voters in North Carolina statewide and congressional races along with the winners in Jackson County local electoral competitions.
Now we remind you that these results are still preliminary and, as political science professor and expert on NC politics, Dr. Chris Cooper keeps saying, nothing is official until after canvas, March 13. There might be some recounts if there is less than 1 percent of the vote separating the top two vote-getters.
Preliminary results in local, Jackson County races
The competition between the two republican candidates for the county sheriff was one of those decisive victories. The present sheriff, Doug Farmer, will keep his position as the top county police chief. Farmer got 2,402 votes or 72.21% of the ballots placed, with Brandon Elders at only 925 ballots or 27.79% of the vote. Since there was no Democratic candidate running for county sheriff position Farmer will keep his job.
The competition for the position of the county commission chair was also tense and brought some surprises. The present chair, Mark Letson lost to David Rogers in the Republican ballot. Rogers got 39% of the vote, and Letson got 31% of the vote.
In the Democratic ballot for the county commission chair former Forest Hills mayor, Marcia Almond will be on the ballot in November running against Rogers. Almond got 2,478 ballots or 74% of the vote. Her competition, Bobbi Hopp, got 865 ballots or 25% of the vote.
For the Jackson County Board of Commissioner representative for District 2 the democrats will be represented by Sean Bridgers who got 69.16% of the vote. He will face Republican sole candidate and present commissioner John Smith in November.
In the race for District 1 on the Board of Commissioners on the Democratic ballot Casey Walawender received 39% of the vote, with Julie Painter close second with 35% of the vote. On the Republican ballot for this seat Steven Sutton got 53.56% of the votes and Anthony Sequoyah 46.44%.
Jackson county voters choices in state and federal races
It comes as no surprise that former governor, Roy Cooper got the majority of the Democratic votes for the U.S. Senate position. On the Republican ballot the Republican and Trump supported candidate Michael Whatley with 54% of the vote.
In the NC 11 competition the present congressman Chuck Edwards won the Republican ballot with 67% of the vote. Adam Smith got less than half of that.
Jamie Ager who was running for the NC 11 position with four more Democratic candidates took 49% of the vote. The second was Richard Hudspeth with only 23% of the votes. Ager was the democratic party favorite and other candidates voiced concern that he had an unfair advantage heading into the primary. He is now the democrats’ greatest chance to flip this congressional seat from red to blue. The last time this position was held by a democrat was 2012.
NC House 119 race on the Republican incumbent Mike Clampitt won with 52% of the vote or 1,706 ballots. Anna Ferguson, got 41% of the votes and Mike Yow only 6%. Clampitt will face Democrat Mark Burrows again in November. In 2024 Burrows lost that race.
In the spot for NC Court of Appeals on the Democratic ballot Christine Marie Walczyk won with 67% of the vote. On the Republican side for the same position Michael Byrne got 54% of the vote.
Jackson County saw 6,837 residents (of 30,346 registered voters, or 22.53 %) cast ballots in this election period – early voting and Election Day.
