NEW HANOVER COUNTY — The primary election results are in, with 30,700 ballots cast out of 184,000 registered voters in the county. Top takeaways include a school board member being ousted after one term and a longstanding commissioner aiming for his fourth term.
Current school board member Melissa Mason lost her bid in the primary election to four other Republican candidates who will move ahead. Meanwhile, three-term incumbent and Democrat Rob Zapple is hoping to win another four years of service, having been first elected as a commissioner in 2014.
READ MORE: Early-voting numbers increased since 2022 primary midterm election
Zapple was the top vote-getter with 30.36% of the votes received among the Democratic candidates for the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners’ race. Closely behind was public health advocate and Seeds of Healing founder LeShonda Wallace (29.46%), a newcomer to the political field.
Two other Democratic candidates who entered the race would have been required to exit their positions on other boards had they made it past the primary and been elected this fall. However, Wilmington council woman Salette Andrews will stay put serving the city, having placed third with 22.38% of the vote. Current school board member Judy Justice scored 17.80% and will continue serving New Hanover County Schools faculty and families.
With two seats open on the commission this year, Wallace and Zapple will face off against current commissioner chair and Republican LeAnn Pierce, and challengers Republican Richard Collier and Libertarian Bob Drach on Nov. 3 during the general election.
On the school board, five Republicans and six Democratic candidates were vying for four open seats in New Hanover County. In the Republican primary election, incumbents Pat Bradford and Josie Barnhart, along with newcomers Amy Dunning and Chris Sutton, advanced to face off against Democratic candidates Brittnei LaRue, Wendy Dale, Jerry Jones Jr., and Rick Southerland.
LaRue received the most votes in the Democratic race at 22.17%, with former school board member Nelson Beaulieu receiving the least, 13.17%. Second and third places were a hair apart, with Dale receiving 17.86% and Jones at 17.13% of the votes.
Republican Mason lost her bid with the least amount of votes among Republican candidates at 18.21%. The Republican top vote-getter is Bradford with 22.61%; Barnhart came in at 20.66%, Dunning at 19.34% and Sutton at 19.18%.
Below is a breakdown of all the numbers of the New Hanover County primary, which also includes federal and state races. For instance, a new North Carolina senator will be elected this year to fill the shoes of Thom Tillis, who is retiring. Former NC Democratic governor Roy Cooper has secured the blue bid and will face off against Republican Michael Whatley, endorsed by President Trump.
Also in the NC Congressional District 7th Seat, Republican David Rouzer won out against Republican challenger David Buzzard. Rouzer will move on to face off against Democratic candidate Kimberly Hardy this fall.
Below results are unofficial until the March 13 canvass.
U.S. Senate Democrat
| NAME ON BALLOT | PARTY | BALLOT COUNT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roy Cooper | DEM | 18,277 | 93.95% |
| Justin E. Dues | DEM | 478 | 2.46% |
| Marcus W. Williams | DEM | 340 | 1.75% |
| Daryl Farrow | DEM | 157 | 0.81% |
| Orrick Quick | DEM | 105 | 0.54% |
| Robert Colon | DEM | 96 | 0.49% |
U.S. Senate Republican
| NAME ON BALLOT | PARTY | BALLOT COUNT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Whatley | REP | 8,294 | 74.98% |
| Donald M. (Don) Brown | REP | 1,306 | 11.81% |
| Michele Morrow | REP | 459 | 4.15% |
| Thomas Johnson | REP | 305 | 2.76% |
| Elizabeth A. Temple | REP | 297 | 2.68% |
| Margot Dupre | REP | 209 | 1.89% |
| Richard Dansie | REP | 192 | 1.74% |
U.S. House of Representatives District 7
| NAME ON BALLOT | PARTY | BALLOT COUNT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Rouzer | REP | 9,132 | 81.95% |
| David Buzzard | REP | 2,011 | 18.05% |
N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Seat 1
| NAME ON BALLOT | PARTY | BALLOT COUNT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Smith | REP | 5,179 | 50.39% |
| Michael C. Byrne | REP | 5,099 | 49.61% |
N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Seat 3
| NAME ON BALLOT | PARTY | BALLOT COUNT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christine Marie Walczyk | DEM | 13,118 | 71.72% |
| James Weldon Whalen | DEM | 5,173 | 28.28% |
NHC Board of Commissioners
| NAME ON BALLOT | PARTY | BALLOT COUNT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rob Zapple | DEM | 11,027 | 30.36% |
| LeShonda Wallace | DEM | 10,700 | 29.46% |
| Salette Andrews | DEM | 8,128 | 22.38% |
| Judy Justice | DEM | 6,466 | 17.80% |
NHC Schools Board of Education: Democrat
| NAME ON BALLOT | PARTY | BALLOT COUNT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brittnei LaRue | DEM | 14,726 | 22.17% |
| Wendy Dale | DEM | 11,862 | 17.86% |
| Jerry Jones, Jr. | DEM | 11,378 | 17.13% |
| Rick Southerland | DEM | 10,380 | 15.63% |
| Margie Gewirtzman | DEM | 9,364 | 14.10% |
| Nelson Beaulieu | DEM | 8,715 | 13.12% |
NHC Schools Board of Education: Republican
| NAME ON BALLOT | PARTY | BALLOT COUNT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Bradford | REP | 8,335 | 22.61% |
| Josie Barnhart | REP | 7,615 | 20.66% |
| Amy Dunning | REP | 7,129 | 19.34% |
| Chris Sutton | REP | 7,069 | 19.18% |
| Melissa Mason | REP | 6,714 | 18.21% |
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