Democrats dominate in Bertie

Published 2:43 am Wednesday, November 5, 2008

WINDSOR – Bertie County voted Democrat.

According to unofficial results from the Bertie County Board of Elections, the voters of the county favored every Democrat on the ballot.

It started at the top of the ballot where Bertie County supported Illinois Senator Barack Obama in his successful bid for the Presidency of the United States. Obama was chosen by 6,248 votes while 3,338 voters favored Arizona Senator John McCain.

The Democratic Party also got a huge boost from straight party voting as 5,324 voters chose to vote for each Democratic candidate as opposed to only 985 who voted straight Republican.

The voters in Bertie County also supported the election of Kay Hagan as United States Senator from North Carolina. She won 6,400 votes, which was easily ahead of current Senator Elizabeth Dole who received 2,986 votes.

The same was true in Bev Perdue’s bid to become the first female Governor of North Carolina. Perdue, who won that post according to the unofficial tally statewide, was named on 7,287 ballots in Bertie County. Her chief rival, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, was chosen by 2,141 Bertie County voters. Libertarian Michael Munger received 117 votes.

In the race for U.S. Congress, Bertie County resident Dean Stephens was not able to secure victory in his home county. Democratic Congressman G.K. Butterfield, the incumbent who represents the state’s 1st District, owned the county by a vote of 6,889 to 2,373.

Lt. Governor-elect Walter H. Dalton easily won Bertie County as he received 6,866 votes compared to 2,307 for Republican Robert Pittenger. Libertarian candidate Phillip Rhodes was tabbed by 108 voters.

Attorney General Roy Cooper, who was the first Council of State member to have the election called in his favor, easily defeated Republican Bob Crumley 7,456 to 1,759.

Bertie County also favored other Democrats in the Council of State races. They included:

State Auditor: Beth Wood 6,684 to Leslie Merritt’s 2,229;

Commissioner of Agriculture: Ronnie Ansley 6,377 to Steve Troxler’s 2,763;

Commissioner of Insurance: Wayne Goodwin 6,840 to John Odom’s (R) 2,059 and Mark McMains (L) 137;

Commissioner of Labor: Mary Fant Donnan 6,555 to Cherie Berry’s 2,355;

Secretary of State: Elaine Marshall 6,943 to Jack Sawyer’s 2,040;

Superintendent of Public Instruction: June St. Clair Atkinson 6,705 to Richard Morgan’s 2,250; and

Treasurer: Janet Cowell 6,602 to Bill Daughtridge’s 2,376.

Running unopposed, State Senator Ed Jones (D-4th) was chosen by 7,316 Bertie voters while Representative Annie W. Mobley (D-5th) received 7,172.

Bertie Commissioner Lewis “L.C.” Hoggard won reelection to his District One seat by receiving 7,359 votes. He was unopposed.

Also being reelected was District Four Commissioner Norman M. Cherry Sr. The current chairman of the board received 7,240 votes while running unopposed.

Charles L. Smith was chosen to serve out the unexpired term of the late J. Jasper Bazemore. Smith was appointed to the seat two years ago and was running unopposed. He was tabbed by 7,430 voters.

Bertie County Register of Deeds Belinda White also ran unopposed. She received 7,685 votes.