2 Chowan County board commissioners ousted in Tuesday's vote

By Connie Sage

With record numbers of Chowan County voters coming out Tuesday for state, national and local primaries, two incumbent county commissioners, including the board's only Republican, were defeated in the election.

Republican political newcomer Eddy Goodwin won the District 2, Seat 1 slot held by Bill Gardner Jr.

No Democrat is running for the seat in November's general election.

Meanwhile, Democratic challenger Emmett E. Winborne defeated Harry Lee Winslow, who has represented District 1, Seat 1 since 1993. It is unclear who the Republican candidate will be in the general election against Winborne, who was a county commissioner from 1990 to 1998.

Even though Republican Darryl E. Stallings withdrew from the District 1, Seat 1 race, it was too late for his name to be removed from the ballot, and he defeated opponent Dana Soles. County elections director Rebecca Lowe said she will research election law this week to find out what options Republicans now have for that race in the fall.

A total of 4,273, or 43.5 percent of the county's 9,817 registered voters, cast ballots Tuesday, Lowe said, compared with a typical 30 to 32 percent voter turnout for primaries.

"It was a record," Lowe said. Almost 1,000 of those residents voted early. "For a primary, that's pretty good," she said.

Bob Steinburg, chairman of the county's Republican Party, said it was the first time in more than a century that the Republican Party had held a primary in Chowan County, offering candidates for three of five open commissioner seats.

"It truly was a unique opportunity for voters in a county that has been dominated by Democrats," he said.

Residents in northeastern North Carolina typically may vote for GOP candidates for president and Congress, "but when it comes to the local level, the Republican Party has not been as successful in electing county commissioners," said Eddy Browning, vice chairman of the Albemarle-Pamlico Republican Club.

And while most North Carolinians chose Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory over opponent Fred Smith in the primary, Steinburg said Chowan County voted overwhelmingly for Smith.

Smith received 66 percent of the votes cast by Republicans here, compared with 13 percent for McCrory, according to state election results. McCrory garnered 46 percent of the votes statewide.

Other seats on the ballot for Board of Commissioners in November are: Democratic incumbent Kenny W. Goodwin vs. Republican Alex E. Stallings; and Republican Earl Willis vs. incumbent Ralph Cole, a Democrat. Jimmy Alligood and C. Louis Belfield are not up for re-election until 2010. A total of 4,273, or 43.5 percent of the county's 9,817 registered voters, cast ballots Tuesday, compared with a typical 30 to 32 percent for primaries.