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Friday, March 29, 2024

As voter registration deadline approaches, local races heat up

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As Friday, Feb. 19 marks the last day to register to vote in time for the March 15 primary, some candidates for local office see it as a deadline for getting new voters to support their campaign, especially as some local races become more heated.

One of those candidates is New Hanover County Board of Commissioners Chair Beth Dawson, who is one of three members of the board defending her seat. Another, Commissioner Woody White, is with Dawson among the seven Republicans competing in the March 15 primary to choose three candidates for the three positions on the board.

Dawson said part of her efforts were focused on convincing unaffiliated voters to register in time for the primary. For Dawson, convincing unaffiliated voters to select the Republican ballot and choose her could be what secures a win in the primary.

“I’m asking folks if they are unaffiliated to choose the Republican ballot so that they can support me,” said Dawson, who added that she’s been helped by a tremendous amount of volunteers. “I’ve been doing a lot of education on my voting record and how it supports job creation, education, teachers, security and public safety.”

More voters register as unaffiliated than for either the Republican or Democrat party, Dawson said. However, the challenge will be convincing them to not only show up on March 15, but choosing the Republican primary ballot.

Unaffiliated voters can choose either the Democrat, Republican or the more-limited unaffiliated ballot, which for this year’s primary election only offers a choice on whether to vote for the Connect NC bond. Dawson noted that the Republican presidential primary, which features the lightning rod candidacy of Donald Trump, could draw unaffiliated voters to the Republican ballot. While this year’s Democratic primary will have a national race for the party’s presidential candidate, the only significant local primary for Democrats will be the county board of education.

Several county races are showing increased tension between candidates. After candidates White, Patricia Kusek and Jim Brumit announced they were running as a slate under the name of the “Conservative Leadership Team,” they were targeted by another candidate in the race for their connection to the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) board of directors.

Derrick Hickey, a Wilmington surgeon and candidate for the board of commissioners, created a website and Facebook page urging voters not to let “the CFPUA board takeover the New Hanover County commission.” White represents the commission on the public utility board, while Kusek is the board’s chair and Brumit its vice-chair. The website criticizes the CFPUA for rate increases, fees, privacy and maintaining a $57 million surplus.

“There’s not one true fact on the website,” said Kusek, who added that her work on the utility board has helped prepare her for a role on the board of commissioners.

“It’s given me a broad perspective on how the city and county works. We’re working with an $80 million budget, working on cost control and keeping rates reasonable. It’s one of the most active boards in the county as it oversees an important and vital service to our area in providing water and sewer services,” Kusek said.

More accusations were leveled in the race to replace N.C. Rep. Rick Catlin for the District 20 seat. New Hanover County Board of Education member Tammy Covil tied her Republican primary opponent Holly Grange to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Covil launched a website under Grange’s name to highlight the connection found between Osprey Global Solutions, the defense contractor owned by Grange’s husband, and a Clinton aide. The connection was revealed in a memo discovered in the congressional Benghazi investigation, where Osprey sought a contract to operate in Libya.

Grange, who works as Osprey’s director of community affairs, held a press conference and issued a press release to defend herself on the accusations.

“My job with Osprey is now and has only ever been to provide charitable funding to local area non-profit organizations,” Grange said.

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