Hertford County’s senior members of the Board of Education re-gained their seats during Tuesday’s General Election.

Joining incumbents John D. Horton and Dennis M. Deloatch on the school board for the next four years is political newcomer Shelia Porter. She was the third highest vote-getter in this six-person race. Three seats were available.

Deloatch was the top choice among Hertford County voters where 45 percent of the county’s eligible voters cast ballots. Deloatch, the county’s former public schools superintendent who was first elected in 2006, tallied 3,371 of the 14,593 votes cast in the Board of Education race.

Horton, a 20-plus year veteran of the school board, will serve another four-year term as he was named on 3,132 ballots.

Porter, retired as principal of Hertford County Middle School, collected 3,072 votes en route to her first-ever political victory.

Despite winning more precincts (four) than any of the other candidates, political newcomer Tracey Tayloe Brown placed fourth overall with 2,209 votes. She was the leading vote-getter in Ahoskie 1 (333 votes), Ahoskie 2 (302), Union (169) and Millennium (123).

The top three candidates were each the number one choice in three precincts:

Deloatch – Murfreesboro 1 (453), Winton (165) and Bryantville (101);

Horton – Ahoskie 3 (349), St. John (198) and Harrellsville (160);

Porter – Murfreesboro 2 (278), Cofield (145) and Como (81).

Those three also led the One-Stop voting – Deloatch (752), Horton (678) and Porter (660).

Rounding out the field were Marcus Williams (1,608 votes) and George W. Holley (1,169).

All vote totals are unofficial until the Hertford County Board of Elections conducts a canvass of all precincts next week.