Mount Olive’s municipal election results have been certified by the Wayne County Board of Elections. The board met Friday, Nov. 17, for the countywide vote canvass. The new board and mayor will be sworn in to two-year terms during the town board’s Tuesday, Nov. 12, meeting. (Steve Herring|mountolivetribune.com)
Mayor-elect Jerome Newton
District 4 Commissioner-elect Tommy Brown
At-large Commissioner-elect Danny Keel
District 3 Commissioner-elect Barbara Kornegay
District 2 Commissioner-elect Delreese Simmons
District 1 Commissioner-elect Vicky Darden
There were no changes in the winners of Mount Olive’s Tuesday, Nov. 7, nonpartisan municipal elections following the countywide canvass.
The Wayne County Board of Elections met Friday, Nov. 17, to conduct the canvass and certify the results.
During the town board’s Tuesday, Nov. 14, session, commissioners unanimously voted to hold a swearing-in ceremony for the newly elected board members during the board’s Tuesday, Dec. 12, meeting.
The mayor and commissioners serve two-year terms.
In official results for the mayoral race, Jerome Newton defeated At-large Commissioner Steve Wiggins by a margin of 364 votes (50.84 percent) to 349 (48.7 percent).
There were three write-in votes (0.42percent).
Mayor Kenny Talton did not seek reelection.
Wiggins out polled Newton 304 votes to 279 on Election Day.
However, Newton out polled Wiggins 82 votes to 37 during one-stop early voting to earn the win.
Newton also received one absentee-by-mail vote to six for Wiggins. Both received two provisional votes.
It was Newton’s second run for the office having lost to Talton in the previous election.
In the race for the at-large seat, retired law enforcement officer and long-time rescue volunteer Danny Keel defeated Robert King.
Keel had 511 votes (73.21percent) to 183 (26.22percent) for King.
There were four write-ins (0.57percent).
District 1 Commissioner Vicky Darden won her fourth term turning back challenges from Annie Carol Simmons and Brenda Lee Simpson.
Darden received 62 votes (40.52percent) to 47 (30.72percent) for Simmons and 44 (28.76percent) for Simpson.
There were no write-ins.
Like Wiggins, Darden received most of her votes, 56, on Election Day followed by Simmons with 33 and Simpson with 26.
Darden finished third in one-stop early voting where she had just five votes. She also received one absentee-by-mail vote.
Simpson led one-stop voting in the District 1 race with 18 votes followed by Simmons with 14.
Delreese Simmons defeated former commissioner Harlie Carmichael by a margin of 152 votes (72.04percent) to 59 (27.96percent) to win his second term representing District 2.
There were no write-in votes.
Simmons first unseated Carmichael in the previous election.
District 3 Commissioner Barbara Kornegay was the only uncontested candidate on the town ballot.
She received 139 votes (97.20percent). There were 4 write-ins (2.80percent)
District 4 Commissioner Tommy Brown won his second term defeating challenger Blake Turner 119 votes (63.64percent) to 66 (35.29percent).
There were two write-ins (1.07percent).
In Seven Spring, Ronda Hughes had all eight votes cast in the mayoral race.
The mayor serves a two-year term.
Seven Springs voters also elected three commissioners to four-year terms. The town has a five-member, at-large board. Commissioners serve staggered terms.
Alan Cash had eight votes (40percent) to win re-election.
Jackie Rouse and Robert Rouse Hughes had six votes each to secure another term.
There were no write-ins.
In Calypso, town Commissioner Joanne Wilson was the only candidate to file for Calypso mayor.
She garnered 22 votes (78.57p ercent) to win the office. There were six write-ins (21.43percent).
All five town board seats were on the ballot.
Winning the seats were Marty Taylor (incumbent), 26 votes (21.67 percent); Troy E. Jernigan Jr., 24 votes (20.00 percent); Larry Cashwell, 22 votes (18.33percent); Lisa Tyndall, 22 votes (18.33 percent); and Rubylene “Ruby” Lambert (incumbent), 16 votes (13.33 percent).
There were 10 write-ins (8.33 percent).
Calypso board members serve two-year terms.
William M. “Billy” Ward II was the only candidate to file for Faison mayor. Ward currently serves as a town commissioner — that term does not end until 2025.
Ward had 89 votes (95.70 percent). There were four write-ins (4.30 percent).
Faison voters also elected two town commissioners.
Lee Kennedy and Ken Avent Jr. won the two seats.
Kennedy had 60 votes (33.52 percent) and Avent had 57 (31.84 percent).
Christy Allen had 38 votes (21.23 percent) and Juan Carlos Quintalilla (incumbent) had 23 (12.85percent).
There was one write-in (0.56 percent).
Faison board members serve four-year staggered terms.
