Farmer, Freeman score wins

Published 12:00 am Thursday, May 4, 2006

WINTON – No upsets occurred in Tuesday’s Democratic Primary for two seats on the Hertford County Board of Commissioners.

Incumbents Curtis A. Freeman (District 2) and Johnnie Ray Farmer (District 1) easily defeated their challengers, Bill Burgess and Carl White, respectively.

The unofficial results gave Freeman 61 percent of the vote for a total of 1,498 votes compared to 971 for Burgess, a former health department official, for 39 percent. Farmer collected 1,621 votes for 65 percent unofficially, while White collected 882 votes for 35 percent.

Farmer won several precincts by large margins, including Ahoskie I, Ahoskie II and Murfreesboro I and won a total of 11 precincts. White captured two precincts, Ahoskie III and Bryanttown.

Freeman won a total of nine precincts and dominated the absentee ballots, winning a total of 272 compared to Burgess who received 68 absentee ballots. Freeman won Ahoskie III by a large margin as well, receiving 197 voted compared to the 12 votes Burgess received in the precinct. Freeman also won both Murfreesboro precincts.

Burgess won a total of five precincts, including Ahoskie I and Ahoskie II.

On a day where North Carolina potentially set a record for the lowest voter turnout for a primary in state history, Hertford County turnout was unimpressive.

“The voter turnout (in Hertford County) was really low,” Hertford County Elections Director Sheila Privott said.

All results are unofficial until next week’s canvass.