Editor’s note: The General Election will be held Nov. 5 and early voting has begun in North Carolina. The Ocracoke Observer published the comments of local candidates in the October print issue because the November issue will come out after the election. We will update this guide as more candidates representing Ocracoke weigh in. A sample ballot can be found at the end of this post.
Here are some key dates and deadlines for voting in North Carolina:
Oct. 11: Voter registration deadline (5 p.m.)*
Oct. 17: In-person early voting begins statewide; same-day registration available. All Hyde County voters can early vote at the Board of Elections office, 1223 Main Street, Swan Quarter, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday, Nov. 2 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Oct. 24 and 25: Ocracoke early voting will be two days only, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department.
Oct. 29: Absentee ballot request deadline (5 p.m.) ballot at votebymail.ncsbe.gov.*
*Voter registration and absentee voting deadlines are different for military and overseas citizen voters.
Nov. 5: General election, 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Ocracoke Volunteer Fire Department.
An important source of voting information is the North Carolina State Board of Elections: www.ncsbe.gov.
Here are some nonpartisan North Carolina organizations that provide voting information that you can find online:
NC Voter
The League of Women Voters of North Carolina
You Can Vote
Common Cause North Carolina
Ballotpedia North Carolina
ENLACE Latino NC Elecciones Carolina del Norte
The website for You Can Vote is particularly helpful for college students wishing to vote on campus by providing the official campus address: www.youcanvote.org/students
Hyde County Board of Commissioners candidates. Hyde County voters vote for all candidates.
Name three important issues that you as a county commissioner and the board could address and actually accomplish.
Thomas Midgette (D), Lake Landing Township:
The first thing I want to address is transparency.
I believe we need to keep the citizens as informed as is legally possible. Rumors and false accusations are damaging to the morale of county employees, who I believe are the best advocates for the county.
Secondly, we need to make sure that our taxes are fair and that they are being used in the most effective way possible.
Thirdly, we need to find ways to attract tourists to the mainland as well as the island.
Education and employment are other areas that need attention. Our youth have to leave the county in order to build a family and a life because of lack of employment opportunities.
I also believe that we need to explore with neighboring counties to attract businesses to the area.
Mark Carawan (D), write-in candidate for Lake Landing Township:
My candidacy for County Commissioner offers me an opportunity to serve all of Hyde County. The first thing is the high taxes we are paying and
receiving very little service. We can’t keep up with Wake County. We are Hyde County with Ocracoke paying the biggest part of the taxes, about 40%. This is putting a burden on the local people of Ocracoke. With that being said we need to bring the Dare County traffic to Ocracoke through Swan Quarter with high-speed ferries, so mainland Hyde County can start paying some of the taxes.
If 70% of the traffic to Ocracoke was funneled through mainland Hyde look at the revenue it would bring to the mainland. It can be done. The ferry system is Ocracoke’s lifeline. We can make it better with faster ferries and less red tape. It’s a highway service.
Why should you need a permit every time you need to channel dredge. It’s been done for years. Get an open permit. The people need to come first.
EMS needs to be improved. We are a long way from a hospital and minutes matter. EMS should be the best of the best for mainland and Ocracoke. For $2.5 million I think it can be made a lot better. I will work to ensure the best standards in the county and of the economic process for all the citizens. Every business in Hyde County is suffering from the condition of Lake Mattamuskeet and the ferry services to Ocracoke. Write my name in when you early vote or on November 5.
Jeffrey Berry (U) Hyde County commissioner, Fairfield Township
I have lived and worked in Hyde County all of my life. I truly Love Hyde County and want better for the county’s people.
I have many more concerns than three but as for the question here are my three important issues that I would like to try to accomplish:
1. Dredging of all the inlets concerning our waterways. Acquiring the funding to keep the dredging in place would be a massive challenge but I would do my best.
2. Improvements to NC 12 to bridge the overwash area or possibly move South Dock closer to the village beyond the continual overwash area.
3. Our EMS system needs much improvement. I feel lack of communication among all involved is among the biggest issues. Also, it takes far too long for response from Dare to Hyde.
Hyde County must communicate with our legislators and governments, continually, to ensure they know our needs.
Through asking people in our county what they worry about, I’ve come up with these problems too: Taxes. I will work to find an answer. Our school system needs as much help as possible. Bringing employment to Hyde County is needed.
Thomas Whitaker, Hyde County commissioner, Fairfield Township
Building, enhancing and maintaining the infrastructure, on the mainland and on the island will be important. There are three types of infrastructure that are required for a county or business to function.
* Hard infrastructure: physical systems needed for operation, such as transportation, energy, telecommunications, waste management and removal services, and electric power.
* Soft infrastructure: Access to education, government, health services and emergency services.
* Critical infrastructure: the minimal systems that are necessary to operations, such as access to food and water, heat, shelter, and medical care.
This is the mindset and vision we need working together as a unit. We can accomplish this task.
Randal Mathews (D), Hyde County Commissioner, Ocracoke Township, unopposed:
I think my record of accomplishments in the last four years speaks for itself. Here are great examples of what the future possibilities may be.
Here are some of the things I am proud of:
The lobbying effort for the million-dollar funding of the Tekniam project that provides emergency communications during telecommunication outages on Ocracoke Island.
Initiated federal and state funding grants for Brightspeed to place a submarine fiber optic cable to the mainland.
Used ARPA matching funds $100,000 to expand broadband service on mainland Hyde County.
Increasing the school district funding from Hyde County by more than $700,000 to over $1.8 million.
Increasing the EMS budget by more than $200,000, acquiring new vehicles and also the purchase of the Ocracoke Masonic Lodge for our new EMS station on Ocracoke.
Acquiring more than $100,000 for maintenance and operation of the Ocracoke Community Center since 2021.
Enhancing the Ocracoke Development Ordinance to address food trucks, travel trailers and roaming dogs.
Hyde County (Manager Kris Noble) has taken great steps to involve us in expediting the dredge permitting process, funding of projects, funding of the ferry division, Army Corps, and even NCDOT as co-chair of the RPO as an Rural Transportation Advisory Committee. Manager Noble created and got legislation passed that does not require Hyde County to provide matching funds while using the Shallow Draft Fund for dredging projects.
Acquiring permits and funding for the use of the Miss Katie hopper dredge to widen and deepen Sloop Channel between Ocracoke and Hatteras. (Manager Noble with guidance from our Waterways Commission)
We will continue our efforts to find additional funding for capital expenses for the Hyde County School District by lobbying our legislators.
We will be tireless in our support of the Ferry Division and its funding from the Transportation Appropriations Committees in our legislature.
We will continue to pursue funding in addition to the $490,000 in NCDEQ resilience grants to address flooding and drainage issues in Ocracoke Village.
We will continue to advocate to move the existing federal ferry channel from Big Foot Slough to Nine Foot Slough which will ultimately save the taxpayers hundreds of thousands in dredging and maintenance cost.
It takes the “yay” of three County Commissioners to take official action on anything that comes before the board. That means building positive relationships with my fellow commissioners, which I will continue to do.
Hyde County Schools Board of Education candidates
What’s the biggest issue facing Hyde County Schools and how will you address it?
Edward Torres (U), Swan Quarter:
All issues in the school system are of high importance. To focus on one single issue could potentially deny addressing matters that are contributing factors to the challenges faced by public education.
As a longtime resident of Hyde County, a graduate of Mattamuskeet High School and a small business owner, I have seen the struggles of our school system, from retaining students, securing and retaining staff, having adequate facilities to facilitate proper education, and the influx of ESL students to mention a few. (myself being a product of the latter)
As a candidate for the Hyde County Board of Education, one of my areas of interest for our school system is to work with other peers to build a program that prepares young students as they progress through the grades and continue their post-secondary education whether it is at the university level, a local community college or if they decide to enter the workforce immediately following their high school graduation.
We must provide the proper tools so our younger generation is ready and successful as they face the challenges of becoming responsible and productive members of our society.
Chanta Kaila Gibbs-Rickard (D) Fairfield: one of the biggest issues facing Hyde County Schools is inadequate funding and resources, which affects facilities, technology, and educational programs. This leads to outdated materials, and limited extracurricular activities, ultimately impacting student performance and engagement.
To address this issue, the schools should:
Advocate for Increased Funding: Engage with local and state representatives to push for better financial support.
- Pursue Grants: Actively seek grants from educational foundations and federal programs designed for underfunded schools.
- Build Partnerships: Collaborate with local businesses and organizations for sponsorships and mentorship opportunities that provide additional resources.
- Engage the Community: Involve parents and community members in fundraising efforts to foster a sense of investment in education.
- Strategic Planning: Create a long-term plan identifying specific needs and goals to allocate resources effectively.
By tackling these funding challenges, Hyde County Schools can enhance educational quality and create a more supportive learning environment for all students.
Ocracoke Sanitary District board of supervisors
Scott Bradley:
The Ocracoke Sanitary District (OSD) has been awarded two significant grants to upgrade the island’s water infrastructure, most of which is over 45 years old, having been put into service in 1977, and aging from our salt-air-corrosion environment.
The Water Tower Replacement Project Grant of $5.6 million will provide for replacement of OSD’s 150,000-gallon elevated water tank with a concrete composite pedestal tank.
The grant also funds partnering with the OVFD to replace 68 fire and flushing hydrants. Completion deadline for the project is December 2026.
A smaller grant of $150,000 will help inventory, map and assess water infrastructure assets and needs to identify water quality issues and areas of low pressure and flow, leading to improved water quality and enhanced fire protection.
I was appointed to the board in June 2003 and re-elected by Ocracoke voters in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. I was elected chairman by the board in January 2010.
I am on the ballot for re-election now in 2024.
As I have been involved in the process with the board and our engineering firm, MESCO, to help secure these grants, I am seeking re-election to the board to continue working to help complete these projects.
Regina Boor
The Ocracoke Sanitary District (OSD) has been awarded two significant grants to upgrade the island’s water infrastructure, most of which is over 45 years old, having been put into service in 1977, and aging from our salt-air-corrosion environment.
The Water Tower Replacement Project Grant of $5.6 million will provide for replacement of OSD’s 150,000-gallon elevated water tank with a concrete composite pedestal tank.
The grant also funds partnering with the OVFD to replace 68 fire and flushing hydrants. Completion deadline for the project is December 2026.
A smaller grant of $150,000 will help inventory, map and assess water infrastructure assets and needs to identify water quality issues and areas of low pressure and flow, leading to improved water quality and enhanced fire protection.
I was appointed to the board in June 2003 and re-elected by Ocracoke voters in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. I was elected chairman by the board in January 2010.
I am on the ballot for re-election now in 2024.
As I have been involved in the process with the board and our engineering firm, MESCO, to help secure these grants, I am seeking re-election to the board to continue working to help complete these projects.
More information on the various statewide candidates is available online but Jason Williams visited Ocracoke in September and sent the following statement:
District Court Judge Judicial District 2 Seat 3
M. Jason Williams (D):
I am serving as a district court judge covering Beaufort, Martin, Washington, Tyrrell and Hyde counties. I was appointed by the governor last year to fill the unexpired term of a judge who retired, and I am running now for my own four-year term.
I grew up in the southern Pitt County town of Grifton, and I attended college at East Carolina University and law school at the University of Florida. I started my career at Legal Aid in New Bern and also worked as an assistant public defender in Greenville before opening up my own practice in 2003 in Washington.
During my time in private practice, I represented people in matters including family law (divorce, child custody, property distribution), criminal law (felonies, misdemeanors, and traffic tickets) and juvenile law (child welfare and juvenile delinquency). These are exactly the kinds of cases that I preside over today. My extensive experience across civil, criminal and juvenile courts makes me uniquely qualified to continue serving as a District Court Judge.
I also know what it is like to run a small business and to meet payroll, something I did for 20 years while practicing in my law office. Although I would never say that “I’ve seen it all,” there isn’t much that goes on in district court that I haven’t had more than a little experience in.
Although mine is a partisan race, the position of district court judge is certainly not a partisan job. There is no Republican way to decide a child custody case, or no Democrat way to decide who is guilty in a misdemeanor criminal case. My judicial philosophy is simple: listen to each individual case without bias and apply the law to the facts while making a decision. During my time on the bench, I have earned a reputation for treating people fairly and respectfully and for knowing and following the law. I have presided over all kinds of cases throughout each of the five counties, and I look forward to serving the people of eastern North Carolina for many years to come.
NC state Senate District 2
More information on the various statewide candidates is available online but Tare Davis visited Ocracoke in Oct. 15 (and before) and sent the following statement:
Tare “T” Davis (D): I am running for NC Senate District 2 because, while I will soon retire from service as a state trooper, I still have a desire and passion to serve the people of North Carolina.
Seven of the eight counties in District 2 have lost population, which means a decrease in funding.
As a Warren County commissioner for almost 10 years, I have learned that we need representatives from the state and federal levels to invest in Eastern North Carolina rural communities so local officials don’t have to rely solely on property taxes to continue providing services to residents while maintaining stability of the county and pushing its growth.
Being president of the NC Association of County Commissioners, elected by my peers in all 100 NC counties, has placed me in the room with local leaders from across the state, and recently sent me to our western counties, accompanied by high level state and federal officials, to help address needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Compared to my opponent I have a more moderate mindset of bipartisan leadership to make governing work for all people.
I have dedicated my life’s work to serving others. Joining the Army National Guard at age 17, my 28 years of service in law enforcement, and my work as a county commissioner have helped me hone my servant leadership skills and work within the communities that I have protected and represented to address and meet their needs.
As your next state Senator, important issues that I would address include:
- Economic stability for working- & middle-class families
- Prioritization of teachers & schools
- Increased support for the ferry system & tourism
- Defending individual rights, including the right to choose
- Support for farmers, small businesses & public service providers
- Conservation of natural resources
- Creating opportunities for youth
- Protecting the rule of law
