This story first appeared on LuminaNews.com on Feb. 8
As the candidates for New Hanover County commissioner lined up on Monday, Feb. 8 to file their bids, each expressed confidence in his or her ability to affect change. In fact, “optimistic” and “change” were words tossed repeatedly toward a crowd of supporters swarming outside of the board of elections office.
But change what? With a depressed economic environment enduring, budgeting and spending were two issues candidates repeatedly referred to as in need of change, forecasting what is likely to become a major campaign topic.
Other issues surfaced too. Such as the one put forward by Democrat Deborah Butler, the first candidate in line to file and the only female to so far publicize an election bid. She expressed a need for diversity, a fresh voice from outside the mainstream to balance a board comprised of long-standing political veterans.
As a political newbie, Butler hopes her fresh perspective will appeal to voters and indeed it may. But she, like other Democrats this year, is facing an uphill battle vying for a board traditionally comprised of Republicans.
She's optimistic. As is Dale Smith, the second Democrat to file early Monday.
"It's time for a change in leadership," he said while waiting for the elections office to open. "We need to be more future oriented and more effective in planning. We need to be leaders for all the people in the county."
Jonathan Barfield, the only sitting Democrat on the board of county commissioners, endorsed Smith’s candidacy Monday, adding clout to his campaign.
“I understand that the tools (Smith) has in his tool box are the right tools for New Hanover County,” Barfield said. “It’s about having the right person on the bus.”
Without a third Democrat filing for two open seats, the party’s commissioner primary in May will be largely strategic—an attempt to keep its candidates at the public forefront, Butler said.
While Butler and Smith made an early showing, no one candidate for commissioner brought the entourage like Wrightsville Beach resident and Republican Rick Catlin. Surrounded by a throng of merry supporters, Catlin, with a firm smile, laid out a platform that seeks to strike a balance between business, the environment and quality of life.
He said that as a business owner and a member of the Port, Waterway and Beach Commission, he's been molding that balance for the last 20 years.
Calling on the budget, Catlin stressed the county "needs a business-sense candidate."
"We have a great chance to make a difference," he said.
Again, by expressing a need for change, Catlin's stance mirrors that of one of his contenders, Jason Harris, a Republican candidate for commissioner deeply concerned about what he termed the county’s boom-bust cycle.
"I've been watching the boom-bust over the last several years, and as a financial planner, I feel like I can work with budgets, build consensus ... and lend expertise," he said after filing.
Charles “Chuckie D.” Dorman was the third Republican to file Monday. His candidacy, he said, is less about partisanship and more about policy.
"I'm not running for the party. I'm running for the people—the small business people," he said in a conversation with a supporter outside the elections office.
Dorman said he is running for the soon-to-be vacated seat of Bobby Greer. He said he wants the other incumbent, Bill Caster, to stay on board.
Caster, the five-term commissioner, and Justin LaNasa, both Republicans, filed Tuesday for county commission.
New Hanover County Sheriff Ed McMahon (D) also filed on Feb. 8 for Sheriff in what will be his first election and following additional candidates have also filed: Frank Rivenbark for N.C. House District 16; Beth Dawson (R) for N.C. House District 18; Lillian Bright (D) and Jan Kennedy (R) for Clerk of Superior Court; and Nick Rhodes (D), Edward Higgins (R), Janice Cavenaugh (R), Derrick Hickey (R) and Don Hayes (R) for Board of Education.
The filing period ends on Feb. 26.
Brian Freskos
Friday, February 19, 2010
Elections turn the tide across New Hanover County
Nov. 5, 2009
An anti-incumbent sentiment swept across New Hanover and Brunswick counties during Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, as a swath of elected officials either relinquished their seats or were pushed out by the electorate.
Approximately 77 percent of incumbents in New Hanover County were upset by newcomers, meaning that two-out-of-three positions up for grabs on city and town councils will be filled with fresh faces and new ideas beginning with swearing-in ceremonies this December.
In Brunswick County, 69 officials were up for re-election, but only 39—or 57 percent—held onto their seats.
Pender County figures were less surprising. About 66 percent of officials up for re-election will keep their positions. A few of the races in Pender were uncontested and a contingent of officials voluntarily relinquished their positions.
Election officials and observers racked their brains as the results poured into the Board of Elections headquarters off Racine Drive around 8:30 p.m. on Election Day.
"Incumbents tend to get punished in economic downturns," Roger Lowery, chair of the public and international affairs department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, said after the election. "We certainly have a record economic downturn in the state and nation. The fact that we see this pattern in this election is certainly no surprise."
Lowery argued that Wilmington voters had been turned-off to incumbents by perceived mismanagement of government affairs, specifically citing the continuing controversy milling around the new hotel and convention center.
For other incumbents on the ballot in 2010, their political future will likely depend on the future of the economy and whether it has regained momentum, Lowery said.
"The crystal ball is cloudy," he added.
Voter turnout across New Hanover County hovered around 20 percent, with an average turnout of 18 percent in Wilmington.
Kure Beach, where the race was hotly contested, received an impressive turnout of 43 percent.
A slightly higher than average turnout—35 percent—in Wrightsville Beach likely boosted mayor-elect David Cignotti (438 votes), who beat-out incumbent Stephen Whalen (372), ushering in a contemporary era of leadership that signals a transformation of the status quo.
Whalen sharply refused Wednesday to comment on the outcome.
Bonnie Williams, director of the New Hanover County Board of Elections, said four provisional ballots were cast for Wrightsville offices—not enough to cover the Cignotti-Whalen spread.
Cignotti acknowledged in an interview Wednesday that he gathered overwhelming support from middle-aged and young voters, a subsection that proved itself as an influential base.
Voter turnout was of fundamental importance to the Cignotti camp, which formed an open government ticket with the candidacies of Bill Sisson (373) and Walter DeVries (263).
Foreshadowing the strength of high voter-turnout, DeVries conducted numerous get-out-vote drives, targeting specific subsections of the population and employing innovative campaign methods to pass his message, rallying support for his running mates but failing to garner the support he needed to win a seat for himself.
Susan Howell Collins earned 459 votes, learning from her defeat two years ago to campaign like the native daughter of Wrightsville Beach that she is, knocking on every door and personally placing more than 700 phone calls to her prospective constituents.
The defeat of incumbent Ed Miastkowski (312), after 16 years on the board of aldermen—one of the longest serving in Wrightsville’s history—will upset many of his faithful supporters.
New-kid-on-the-block James Smith (134) arrived in fifth, despite conspicuous attendance at public meetings and aggressive aims at building name recognition.
On Wednesday, Cignotti said he would start his tenure by forming a strong relationship between board members, a task he deemed a top priority.
There was also a surprising turn of events in Wilmington. City council was shaken by the return of former city council member Charlie Rivenbark (5,221), council’s top vote-getter; and fresh face Kevin O’Grady (4,399), who managed to pull ahead of incumbent Margaret Haynes (4,311).
Tuesday night, election officials estimated that there were roughly 56 provisional ballots to be considered, meaning it will be almost impossible for Haynes to climb ahead of O’Grady, who won by 88 votes.
It was unclear Wednesday whether Haynes would have qualified for a runoff had city council not voted—at her behest—to do away with runoff elections beginning in 2009.
Mayor Bill Saffo (8,368) was reelected over Paul Knight (5,329).
City councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Jim Quinn (3,489) finished with an upsetting 9 percent of the vote and will have to give up his seat in December.
City councilman Earl Sheridan (5,170) was also reelected, coming in a close second behind Rivenbark.
Official results will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Brian Freskos
An anti-incumbent sentiment swept across New Hanover and Brunswick counties during Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, as a swath of elected officials either relinquished their seats or were pushed out by the electorate.
Approximately 77 percent of incumbents in New Hanover County were upset by newcomers, meaning that two-out-of-three positions up for grabs on city and town councils will be filled with fresh faces and new ideas beginning with swearing-in ceremonies this December.
In Brunswick County, 69 officials were up for re-election, but only 39—or 57 percent—held onto their seats.
Pender County figures were less surprising. About 66 percent of officials up for re-election will keep their positions. A few of the races in Pender were uncontested and a contingent of officials voluntarily relinquished their positions.
Election officials and observers racked their brains as the results poured into the Board of Elections headquarters off Racine Drive around 8:30 p.m. on Election Day.
"Incumbents tend to get punished in economic downturns," Roger Lowery, chair of the public and international affairs department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, said after the election. "We certainly have a record economic downturn in the state and nation. The fact that we see this pattern in this election is certainly no surprise."
Lowery argued that Wilmington voters had been turned-off to incumbents by perceived mismanagement of government affairs, specifically citing the continuing controversy milling around the new hotel and convention center.
For other incumbents on the ballot in 2010, their political future will likely depend on the future of the economy and whether it has regained momentum, Lowery said.
"The crystal ball is cloudy," he added.
Voter turnout across New Hanover County hovered around 20 percent, with an average turnout of 18 percent in Wilmington.
Kure Beach, where the race was hotly contested, received an impressive turnout of 43 percent.
A slightly higher than average turnout—35 percent—in Wrightsville Beach likely boosted mayor-elect David Cignotti (438 votes), who beat-out incumbent Stephen Whalen (372), ushering in a contemporary era of leadership that signals a transformation of the status quo.
Whalen sharply refused Wednesday to comment on the outcome.
Bonnie Williams, director of the New Hanover County Board of Elections, said four provisional ballots were cast for Wrightsville offices—not enough to cover the Cignotti-Whalen spread.
Cignotti acknowledged in an interview Wednesday that he gathered overwhelming support from middle-aged and young voters, a subsection that proved itself as an influential base.
Voter turnout was of fundamental importance to the Cignotti camp, which formed an open government ticket with the candidacies of Bill Sisson (373) and Walter DeVries (263).
Foreshadowing the strength of high voter-turnout, DeVries conducted numerous get-out-vote drives, targeting specific subsections of the population and employing innovative campaign methods to pass his message, rallying support for his running mates but failing to garner the support he needed to win a seat for himself.
Susan Howell Collins earned 459 votes, learning from her defeat two years ago to campaign like the native daughter of Wrightsville Beach that she is, knocking on every door and personally placing more than 700 phone calls to her prospective constituents.
The defeat of incumbent Ed Miastkowski (312), after 16 years on the board of aldermen—one of the longest serving in Wrightsville’s history—will upset many of his faithful supporters.
New-kid-on-the-block James Smith (134) arrived in fifth, despite conspicuous attendance at public meetings and aggressive aims at building name recognition.
On Wednesday, Cignotti said he would start his tenure by forming a strong relationship between board members, a task he deemed a top priority.
There was also a surprising turn of events in Wilmington. City council was shaken by the return of former city council member Charlie Rivenbark (5,221), council’s top vote-getter; and fresh face Kevin O’Grady (4,399), who managed to pull ahead of incumbent Margaret Haynes (4,311).
Tuesday night, election officials estimated that there were roughly 56 provisional ballots to be considered, meaning it will be almost impossible for Haynes to climb ahead of O’Grady, who won by 88 votes.
It was unclear Wednesday whether Haynes would have qualified for a runoff had city council not voted—at her behest—to do away with runoff elections beginning in 2009.
Mayor Bill Saffo (8,368) was reelected over Paul Knight (5,329).
City councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Jim Quinn (3,489) finished with an upsetting 9 percent of the vote and will have to give up his seat in December.
City councilman Earl Sheridan (5,170) was also reelected, coming in a close second behind Rivenbark.
Official results will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Brian Freskos
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