WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH — Over the last few months, Port City Daily has been publishing individual candidate interviews so readers know where they stand on local issues facing the greater Cape Fear region.
2021 is a rematch election between incumbent Darryl Mills and Greg Buscemi, both of whom ran for Wrightsville Beach mayor in 2019. Each responded to PCD’s request to address items of interest on the island, from parking to transportation to being a business-friendly town. Their interviews below can be referenced ahead of heading to the polls on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Municipal elections are nonpartisan, and though they traditionally garner less interest compared to even-numbered election years, these elections can be more impactful to the immediate and local decisions made in one’s home region. The last municipal election in 2019 returned 19.22% (18,292 out of 95,154) of voters casting ballots in New Hanover County. In Wrightsville Beach, 702 people voted for mayor (Mills won with 68.52% of the vote).
Early voting closes Saturday, Oct. 30. There is not a voter ID requirement in the 2021 election, but before heading to the polls Tuesday, readers should run down the voter checklist to:
- Determine if you’re registered to vote at your current address.
- Find out if voter registration is inactive or not current. Only registered voters can vote on Nov. 2 and voter registration is allowed up to 25 days ahead of an election. Early voting allows everyone to vote, regardless of registration.
- Check out a sample ballot ahead of time (after searching and finding your name, scroll halfway down the page to access your sample ballot).
Other questions and answers can be found on the N.C. State Board of Elections page.
Port City Daily dropped the paywall on the below interviews to help voters make informed decisions ahead of the 2021 election year. Still, we appreciate your support of local, independent journalism, which can be accessed through a monthly subscription. Sign up for Port City Daily’s free newsletter, Wilmington Wire, here to receive the daily headlines in your inbox every morning.
All candidates’ responses are printed in full and only edited for grammatical and spelling errors.
Greg Buscemi — Independent
Darryl Mills — Republican
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