For tomorrow’s (May 8) primary election, Hyde County voters will use one of two ballots.
Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Volunteer Fire Department, 822 Irvin Garrish Hwy.
Under North Carolina election law, registered Democrats and Republican can only vote on their party’s ballot. Unaffiliated voters must choose one ballot, Democrat or Republican, to vote. The Libertarian and Green parties are the other two officially recognized political parties and no candidates have filed to run in Hyde County.
Since primary elections are for the political parties nominate candidates for the fall general election, only contested offices will be on Tuesday’s ballot. Full voting of all candidates will be in the general election Nov. 6.
Here is some information on the candidates.
Democrat Ballot
While the Democratic ballot in will show two offices, only one will really count.
Richard S. (Steve) James was declared ineligible to run for N.C. State Senate District 1 because he is not a resident of the district. That decision was made after the ballots were printed.
Therefore candidate D. Cole Phelps, Creswell, an attorney and Washington County Commissioner, will be the Democratic candidate and will be on the November ballot.
The Swan Quarter county commissioner seat is the other race on the ballot. Information on the two candidates, James (Little Brother) Topping and Joseph (Joey) Williams can be found here
Republican Ballot
The Republican ballot has three contests: the U.S. House of Representatives District 3 and the two N.C. General Assembly seats.
U.S. House of Representatives District 3
Walter Jones (incumbent), 75, of Farmville, a small town near Greenville, Pitt County, has served District 3 since 1995. The district includes 17 counties covering the Outer Banks and the counties adjacent to the Pamlico Sound.
Jones, who says this will be his last election, is known to be an independent. He is a long supporter of the balanced budget amendment and has consistently vote against federal debt increases.
Although an initial supporter, Jones became one of the few Republican opponents to the Iraq war. He was the only North Carolina Republican to vote against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, citing his concern about how much it would add to the federal deficit. He is also strongly opposed to offshore drilling off North Carolina. More on his views can be found on Ballotpedia and his congressional website.
Jones is being challenged by Scott Dacey and Phil Law.
Scott Dacey, 55, is a Craven County commissioner, real estate developer and lobbyist. He worked in the Small Business Administration under President George H.W. Bush. He strongly supports the Trump’s agenda on taxes, the economy and border security. He differs with Trump in that he favors tougher sanctions on Russia and believes that Mueller’s investigation should be allowed to run its course. He has said if offshore drilling can be done in a reasonable and safe way, he would be willing to support looking into it.
More of his views can be found on Ballotpedia and his website .
Phil Law, 35, is an information technology manager and a Marine Corps veteran. He challenged Jones in the 2016 primary, getting 20 percent of the votes with Jones getting 65 percent.
He touts that his military, managerial and technical experience make him the best choice for the district. He is a strong supporter of the Trump agenda including building a U.S.-Mexican border wall and the tax-cut package that Congress passed last year. He thinks offshore drilling approval is a long way off and supports energy dependence.
For further information on his candidacy, go to Ballotpedia and his website.
If one of these candidates does not make 40 per cent of the votes, a primary runoff election will take place on July 17.
The Outer Banks Voice and Milepost Magazine recently held a forum at Waveriders in Nags Head featuring N.C. Senate candidates Bob Steinburg and Clark Twiddy, and N.C. House candidates Beverly Boswell and Bobby Hanig.
https://outerbanksvoice.com/2018/04/23/video-general-assembly-gop-primary-candidates-forum/
General Assembly State Senate District 1
Bob Steinburg, 69, of Edenton, is serving his third term as House Member representing District 1. He won his last election with 64 percent of the vote. A self-described conservative and supporter of family values, he stands for lower taxes, less red tape, smaller government and empowering small businesses to grow and to attract new jobs to this area.
Steinburg was a strong supporter of the controversial N.C. House Bill 2 that overturned and banned local statutes that protect LGBTQ people from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and prohibited transgender people from using bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity in schools and government buildings.
In 2015, then-Gov. Pat McCrory appointed him to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.
He has clashed with fellow Republicans by supporting wind and solar power energy. His N.C. House district includes the Amazon Wind Farm U.S. East project and he vows to keep it going against the wishes of several General Assembly opponents, including Sen. Bill Cook. Steinburg says the project has overwhelming local support.
Steinburg does not support offshore drilling. “I’m for ‘all-of-the-above’ when it comes to energy and doing what we can to make us energy independent,” he told the Outer Banks Sentinel. “We’ve got a $3 billion coastal economy to consider. If you lose the tourism economy of the coast, you’re taking a significant risk.”
Regarding the repeal of the plastic bag ban, in the candidates’ forum sponsored by the Village Voice and Milepost Magazine, he noted that the citizens were overwhelmingly against the repeal and they should have been consulted before introducing legislation.
He has received the endorsement from National Rifle Association, the N.C. Right to Life, the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association and the State Employees Association of North Carolina.
What he did not receive is an endorsement from Cook, who is retiring from the seat and strongly endorses his opponent, Clark Twiddy.
The Outer Banks Voice printed Cook’s endorsement of Twiddy. It can be read here.
For more information, go to Ballotpedia and his website
Clark Twiddy, Kitty Hawk, is quick to point out he does not have a political resume.
“I’m running for the reason I would hope more people would run, as a form of public service to a community that has been so good to me and my family,” Twiddy, a native of Dare County, told the Carolina Journal.
A graduate of VMI and a retired Lt. Commander with U.S. Naval Intelligence, he has a real estate business, Twiddy & Company. He is a board member of the Outer Banks Foundation and the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges and active in the local VFW.
He embraces conservative principles supporting gun rights, low taxes and more investment in education.
In the candidates’ forum sponsored by the Outer Banks Voice and Mile Magazine, he said we need to strengthen ties to Hampton Roads commerce and to seek connections and collaboration to maximize opportunity for the northeast region.
He told the Outer Banks sentinel that he would not make fighting against the repeal of the ban on plastic bags a priority, but he questioned the need for repeal of a popular law
He sees himself as “a bridge-builder, not a bridge-burner,” and contends that it’s time for a fresh perspective in Raleigh.
Twiddy received the endorsement of several General Assembly members, including Cook and Sen. Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick), who chairs the powerful Senate Rules Committee, is also backing Twiddy.
Information on Clark Twiddy can be found on Ballotpedia and his website.
N.C. House District 6 candidates:
Beverly Boswell (incumbent), of Kill Devil Hills, was elected in 2016 narrowly defeating Tess Judge who replaced her husband, Warren, who died a few days before the election. Prior to that she served on the Dare County Board of Elections.
Boswell touts her conservative values and legislation she has proposed. She filed H B 161, Right to Life at Conception Act, defining that life begins at conception and extends Constitutional protections to the unborn.
She earned the endorsement of North Carolina Right to Life and was ranked 4th in the State House by the North Carolina Values Coalition for championing family values like limiting abortion, protecting religious freedoms, allowing school choice, and ensuring privacy and safety for our children.
The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) and Grass Roots North Carolina (GRNC) Political Victory Fund have endorsed her.
In a press release she said she won her first election narrowly in part thanks to a strong showing by President Donald J. Trump.
“President Trump has turned this nation around and the left is crazier and more unhinged than ever,” she wrote. “And they’ve made me a number one target and not just in November, but now we see also in the Republican Primary.”
She is a strong supporter of commercial fishing industry and believes fishermen, sportsmen and recreational beach users should have the maximum freedom to enjoy our waterways and shoreline.
She is perhaps most noted for her legislation that led to the repeal of the plastic bag ban on the Outer Banks. Criticism included not seeking input from citizens, businesses and local boards. She defended her position by saying it was a freedom to choose issue, and that a lawsuit was coming claiming that the law was unconstitutional.
More information can be found on Ballotpedia and her website.
Bobby Hanig, Powell’s Point, is chairman of the Currituck County Board of Commissioners and an Army veteran. He says one of his goals is for northeastern North Carolina to have more influence in the General Assembly.
One of the major challenges in the region he sees is creating more jobs and not just in the tourism industry. More income will benefit the tax base. One pressing need for the region is affordable housing so that people who get jobs can afford to live in the area.
He is a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights and vows to support gun owning rights. He believes that veterans need more support. A lot of vets are not aware of support services that are available to them and he would work to improve their services.
Regarding education, there needs to be more cooperation of all levels of government, he said. He sees a disconnect between funding the schools and those doing the funding. Charter schools can be a regional issue. Sometimes they serve a function when distance is a factor in rural areas, but charter schools take away funding when students leave public schools. He supports the N.C. Education Lottery system that provides support for school systems.
He is strongly opposed to offshore drilling, a view shared by Currituck residents.
He worries that a drilling disaster could impact the $3 billion economy and notes that 140 communities up and down the Atlantic coast have gone on record for opposing it.
He is against tolling of the ferry system.
Information can be found on Balltotpedia and his website.
