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Dawson takes county board chair as candidates begin to crowd election slate

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As Republican Beth Dawson seeks re-election to the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, she will do so as the board’s sitting chair after the commissioners voted her to that position on Monday, Dec. 14.

Former board chairman Jonathan Barfield Jr., who nominated Dawson for the position, was elected to the position of vice-chair. Both positions carry one-year terms.

“It is an honor to serve the citizens of New Hanover County and I look forward to continuing to ensure that our community grows and prospers in a meaningful way,” Dawson said.

Competition for several local races became more heated this week as candidates continue to file ahead of the Monday, Dec. 21 deadline for registration with the New Hanover County Board of Elections.

While both Dawson and Barfield are running for re-election, it’s still unclear if fellow commissioner Woody White will seek another term on the board. White has already said he won’t seek a seat in Congress and has said he is waiting to see if other conservatives will run for the board before he decides.

He said Patricia Kusek, a financial planner who is campaigning for a seat on the board of commissioners as a Republican, is one conservative running and if another conservative runs, he would consider filing for re-election in order to create a voting block of three conservatives for the three open seats.

The most crowded race is for the Democratic representatives for the New Hanover County Board of Education. So far, five candidates have filed for the three seats that will be contested in the election. A race is also emerging for the District 20 seat in the state House of Representatives, as now two Republican candidates seek to replace Rep. Rick Catlin, who announced earlier this year he will not seek re-election.

This week, Lisa Estep joined Jeannette Nichols as Republicans school board members that will run to defend their seats. Frank Christopher Meares has also filed as a Republican candidate for the board of education.

Estep, a mother of five children who are in or have attended county schools, is running for her second term on the board of education. In July, Estep was appointed by Governor Pat McCrory to the State Board of Community Colleges, where she will serve a six-year term.

There will not be a primary election unless other Republican candidates enter the race for board of education.

The Democrats will face off in the primary however, as now five candidates for board of education are competing to be among the three that will be on the ballot in November 2016. They include Emma Saunders, Rev. James Jamison Jr., Chris Meek, Kevin Spears and Sandra Leigh. The primary election is scheduled for March 15, 2016.

Saunders, a retired educator with more than 30 years in the New Hanover County school system, unsuccessfully sought a board seat in 2014. She serves on the board of directors for the Child Development Center and the Wilmington Convention Center.

Jamison is a recently retired Wilmington Housing Authority safety and security official and pastor of Hope Baptist Church at 1401 Greenfield St. and Church Without Walls for the homeless. Though he has more than two decades’ experience volunteering in different charity organizations, this is Jamison’s first time running for local office.

Jamison said he had considered running for years and felt it was necessary to add both ideological and economic diversity to the board. Currently, all members of the county board of education are registered Republicans.

“When you’re at a certain economic status, you may not see the impact some decisions will have. A decision that costs parents an extra $15 a month can be a fortune in some circles,” Jamison said. “It’s good to get the pulse of the other side of the track in addition to your side of the tracks.”

Another Republican on the board of education, Tammy Covil, has filed as a candidate for the District 20 seat. She will face Holly Grange, a graduate of the United States Military Academy, who serves on the North Carolina Ports Authority, as well as on the Cape Fear Community College Foundation and the U.S.O. of North Carolina.

In other developments, the board of elections will add a day of Sunday voting to its early voting schedule for the March primaries, said New Hanover County Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Redenbaugh, who pushed for the Sunday voting schedule.

“Some voters are working multiple jobs and have other responsibilities. Sunday voting gives them another opportunity to vote,” she said. “There are businesses that are open on Sunday. The board of elections should be treating the voters like customers as well. A lot of people want to participate in the democratic process.”

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