NEW HANOVER COUNTY — Without an external search for new leadership, the county board of elections has submitted to the state board of elections its suggestion for a new director. Interim Deputy Director Eric Navagh has been voted on locally to formally take on the role in full.
Navagh has been with the county almost a year, hired last July as the elections logistics coordinator. He took the reins and stepped into more leadership guidance in March 2026 after two months of turmoil between the former director, DeNay Harris, and the elections board and county leadership.
Harris was hired in January this year following a national search, but following the primary election her relationship with the county board of elections and county government leadership began to sour. She accused the county of micromanaging her work flow, as well as monitoring and tampering with her emails, the latter of which was disproven by an audit.
READ MORE: Elections director’s termination formalized in New Hanover County
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The local board filed a petition to fire Harris, though their reasoning has not been disclosed publicly due to personnel laws; the state board of elections agreed with the county’s wishes. Harris was put on paid administrative leave throughout the process but came off on June 9, when her termination was finalized.
The county board of elections has remained mum throughout the process on whether it would execute another search as the midterm elections near on Nov. 3. But during its Tuesday, June 16, meeting, the New Hanover County Board of Elections unanimously nominated Navagh after coming out of more than an hour-long closed session.
Chair Jamie Getty read a motion, seconded by Derrik Miller: “I move that we recommend to the state board of elections that Eric Navagh be appointed by New Hanover Board of Elections.”
The board agreed in full.
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