A longtime member of the Cabarrus County Board of Education took the most votes in the Republican Primary for the Cabarrus Board of County Commissioners in what proved to be a very close race among the top three vote-getters.
Liz Poole (R), a 10-year school board member, and incumbent Commissioner Robert Carruth (R) received the Republican nominations for the two open seats on the County Commission.
The two will square off against Democrats Archie Barnhardt and Wendell Fant in November.
Poole, 49, took an early lead in the primary race and held on, finishing with 22.39 percent of the Republican vote, or 3,650 votes of the total 16,300 votes cast, according to Tuesday’s unofficial count.
“It doesn’t surprise me, because in local elections a lot of it is name recognition,” Poole said of the top three finishers in the primary. “I’m humbled at this point in time for my first partisan race and to be in this position.”
Poole said she has taken joy in seeing young people become interested in local politics through her bid in the primary, adding that some of the students she teaches at Kannapolis Middle School have recognized her televised candidate forums.
Carruth, 46, serving his second term as a commissioner, received 3,434 votes, or 21.07 percent.
He commended Poole and third-highest vote-getter Holly Blackwelder (R) on their campaigns.
“I think both (Poole) and (Blackwelder) worked very hard,” Carruth said.
“I think (the primary election) goes to show that Republicans in this county value good schools...but they also want good government.”
Carruth, looking ahead to the November election, said the issues would likely remain the same.
“I think it’s still going to be the same. I think it’s going to be looking at growth management and how to build schools,” Carruth said. “I also think that Republicans are going to come together.”
At one point Tuesday night, only seven votes separated Carruth and Blackwelder, the current chairwoman of the Cabarrus County Board of Education.
In total, seven Republican candidates were vying for the two commissioner seats in the primary.
Blackwelder, 43, of Concord, co-owner of Blackwelder & Associates Inc. construction company, received 3,388 votes, or 20.79 percent.
Larry Burrage (R), 68, of Concord, owner of electrical contractor business L & L Electrical Service, received 1,976 votes, or 12.12 percent.
Marcy Hiers (R), 65, a Florida native who moved to Cabarrus County from South Carolina in 1999, received 702 votes, or 4.31 percent.
Joy Lane (R), 56, of Concord, CEO of the Central Carolina Association of Realtors, received 1,766 votes, or 10.83 percent.
Jim Rhinehart (R), 68, recently announced he was no longer actively campaigning in the race, but still received 1,384 votes, or 8.49s percent.
While the race was close for the top three vote-getters, Board of Election officials said the totals did not call for a runoff.
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