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Tuesday was Election Day in North Carolina, with the Democrat and Republican parties holding primaries. Cherokee County’s local races were all decided between GOP candidates, making the results particularly important here.
Cherokee County Board of Commissioners
Incumbents Dan Eichenbaum (District 4) and Cal Stiles (District 1) are both on track to win re-election in the fall after defeating their Republican primary challengers, but the power dynamic on the board has likely shifted with a victory by Ben Adams in the District 3 Republican primary.
Adams gained 2,164 votes (37.96 percent), defeating Mark Kephart (1,445, 25.35 percent), J.R. Carroll (1,404, 24.63 percent) and John Worden (687, 12.05 percent). The race will fill the seat currently occupied by Gary "Hippie" Westmoreland, who is not seeking reelection. Adams has stated that he aligns more closely with current board members Stiles and Jan Griggs, who are often on the wrong end of a 3-2 voting split.
Meanwhile, Eichenbam received 2,369 votes (41.7 percent) and held off challengers John Midkiff (1,746, 30.57 percent) and Joe Simonds (1,597, 27.96 percent).
Stiles gained 2,651 votes (45.61 percent) to defeat Jeff Tatham (1,993, 34.29 percent) and Steve Jordan (1,168, 20.1 percent).
Cherokee County Sheriff
Murphy Assistant Police Chief Dustin Smith is in line to be the next sheriff of Cherokee County after defeating both Chief Deputy Joe Wood and Heath Woodard in the Republican primary. Smith captured 2,845 votes (48.51 percent), while Wood received 2,388 (40.72 percent) and Woodard gained 632 (10.78 percent).
Cherokee County Board of Education
In District 2, Jeannie Gaddis (2,438 votes, 44.51 percent) edged Allen Denny (2,258, 41.22 percent) and Andrew Zenobi (782, 14.28 percent) in the race for the seat formerly occupied by Dr. Jeff Martin, who did not seek reelection.
In the At-Large race, challenger Steve Coleman received 3,163 votes (56.34 percent) to unseat incumbent Keesha Curtis, who had 2,451 votes (43.66 percent).
In District 3, Jason Murphy secured one of the two available spots with 3,183 votes, good enough for 30.92 percent in a five-person race. Shannon D. Raper came in second with 2,504 votes (24.32 percent), incumbent Joey Shore was third with 1,921 (18.66 percent), Leslie Gibson placed fourth with 1,804 votes (17.52 percent) and Jose "Joe" Barreiro received 883 (8.58 percent).
Register of Deeds
Karen Mintz Wright received 3,033 votes (53.49 percent) to defeat Stephanie L. Swanson, who gained 2,637 (46.51 percent).