WINDSOR – A political newcomer in the Board of Education race and an incumbent County Commissioner were the winners here Tuesday during the Primary election in Bertie County.

Melinda Johnson Eure, who has three children currently enrolled in the Bertie educational system, saw her first foray into the world of politics go down as a successful venture as the Windsor woman knocked off two challengers in the county’s District 1 Board of Education race.

With the total vote still listed as unofficial until next week’s countywide canvass, Eure topped the field with 1,626 votes (41 percent). That was more than enough to unseat incumbent School Board member Ronnie Speller (1,216 votes; 31 percent) and newcomer Euric Perry (1,088; 28 percent). Perry is a retired principal and educator.

Sparked by a sweep of Bertie’s two largest polling places, Windsor I and Windsor II where she combined for 651 votes, Eure carried five of the county’s 12 precincts. She was also the leading vote getter at the Mitchell’s I (75 votes), Mitchell’s II (80) and White’s (119) precincts.

School Board incumbent Gloria Lee was also up for reelection. She was unopposed for her District 5 seat and garnered 2,608 votes.

In the race for District 1 County Commissioner, incumbent L.C. Hoggard III was reelected to another four-year term in a close battle against David Overton, the retired Administrator for the Town of Windsor.

Hoggard won seven of the county’s 12 precincts en route to collecting 2,053 votes (52 percent). That edged Overton who garnered 1,872 votes (42 percent).