NEW HANOVER COUNTY — New leadership is coming to the county’s elections team, as the state board approved the appointment of a new director after the local elections board made its suggestion this week.
DeNay Harris will begin her tenure as director of New Hanover County Board of Elections on Feb. 3. Her base salary will be $115,000.
READ MORE: ‘Effective immediately’: NHC elections director retires following year of budget, voting conflicts
Harris has previous experience in elections services, having worked as director of elections and general registrar for Charles City County, Virginia. She has been in role for more than four years and before that was the assistant registrar and FOIA analyst for the City of Richmond.
Harris previously worked as a paralegal and has a BA in legal studies from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
“I’m honored to serve New Hanover County voters and look forward to working alongside the Board and staff to continue delivering fair, secure, and accessible elections,” Harris said in a release.
The New Hanover County Board of Elections voted unanimously on Tuesday, Jan. 13, to suggest Harris for the role, which the North Carolina State Board of Elections had to sign off on. The county announced her hiring Friday morning.
According to New Hanover County Board of Elections member John Lyon, the county received around 20 applications. BOE Chair Jamie Getty appointed Lyon (R) and Derrick Miller (D) to lead the charge, selecting one person representative of each party to narrow the field of applicants.
“We went through a rigorous process,” Lyon said at Tuesday’s BOE meeting, to get the pool down to seven applicants for phone interviews in December. Then the top two candidates were chosen and came before the full board for in-person interviews.
“Both of the final candidates were excellent,” Lyon said.
Harris’ experience in elections expands administration needs, voter registration, and compliance with state and federal law, according to the county.
Getty wrote to PCD that Harris has “strong operational knowledge and leadership skills” that appealed to the board.
“Throughout the selection process, the Board evaluated candidates in accordance with state law and established procedures, focusing on qualifications, experience, and a demonstrated commitment to administering elections in a fair, secure, and transparent manner,” Getty wrote in an email. “DeNay Harris’s approach to problem solving, dedication to public trust, and experience leading complex election operations aligned with the Board’s selection criteria. The Board is confident that her experience and leadership will support the professional administration of elections and service to our New Hanover County voters.”
The county has spent the last four months searching for a new director since Rae Hunter-Havens abruptly announced her retirement in October, though she was contracted for $70,000 to continue consulting as needed through April 1, 2026. In the midst of her replacement search, the county stepped in to ensure administrative and logistical support to the BOE as well.
County assistant manager Lisa Wurtzbacher was appointed as special assistant to the county BOE to help through the November municipal elections. Then in December the elections board appointed Crystal Whittaker, executive aide to the county manager at New Hanover County, to become interim director. New Hanover County will continue supporting the BOE through the March primary.
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