The Local Election: A Beaufort County Post Mortem | Eastern North Carolina Now

    The last local election in Beaufort County was a diluted microcosm of the Republican sweep in the nation this last General Election, November 2, 2010. I say diluted because there are certain limiting factors that will generally moderate the momentum of any political tsunami in Beaufort County. This political post mortem will allude to these limiting factors, as I attempt to explain what happened locally, and why it happened as it did.

    Undoubtedly, the most important outcome of all of the races in Beaufort County's state and local politics was the first Republican, in the person of Bill Cook, to be elected to North Carolina State House since 1998. The astounding feat of this election is not so much that he won, which is remarkable for someone who has never run in a political campaign before, but the margin by which he won: 12,808 votes to 11,126 votes over Incumbent NC Representative Arthur Williams in the 6th District race. What Bill Cook lacked in experience in communicating his message, he more than made up for it in his work ethic, his raw desire to be that candidate to make contact with as many potential voters as possible, which was the perfect formula in this anti-incumbent year.

    Soon after his election in the early days of his service, Bill's true test will come, as it does for all newly elected officials, which is: Can you, as someone elected by a majority of the electorate, withstand the assault of the special interest few, who wish for you to parlay the majority's mandate to their special needs. Good Luck Bill. If you pass this test for the people who elected you, you'll probably be re-elected.

    The second most important local election was 4 term Beaufort County Commissioner Hood Richardson's challenge for the 1st District Senate, held by Marc Basnight - once the most powerful man in the state of North Carolina. Commissioner Richardson spent a fraction of the campaign money that the powerful senator had at his disposal from his immense campaign war chest. Regardless, the stoic county commissioner scored more than 25% higher vote totals than anyone who had ever challenged for that seat over the last 20 years. Like Bill Cook, Richardson had even less campaign money, and he worked extremely hard by meeting as many of his prospective constituents as possible. On many evenings, Hood would call to talk strategy. I actually believed he would call me so as to stay awake on many of his long trips to Currituck, Pasquotank or Dare County. Hood rises every morning before the chickens, so he's not much fun at night, and staying awake is a real chore for him past 9:30 PM.

    The day after the election, I spoke with Hood and he offered, "I just wanted to prove he could be beat." Actually, the brutally honest commissioner did beat Senator Basnight in many of those distant counties of Currituck and Camden. These small victories for Republicans had never occurred for this seat. Remarkably, there was an organized effort amongst some Republicans to defeat the impassioned Republican county commissioner of 14 years. These turn-coat quasi-Republicans are unaffectionately known as RINO's (Republicans In Name Only). RINO's feast on corporate welfare and Senator Basnight is their favorite chef. We may discuss this aberration in behavior in future treatises on this disgusting practice. But we must move forward to the next election won again by an established Democrat - Beaufort County's Sheriff.

    Enter energetic upstart Donald Dixon, who had the temerity to challenge Alan Jordan for the county's highest elected position. Dixon, like Bill Cook and Hood Richardson, worked extremely hard during his campaign. His admirable work ethic belied his chance for victory as Dixon could not overcome the incumbency of Sheriff Alan Jordan. His 39.9% of the vote may seem a bit paltry, but it is actually one of the highest vote totals for a challenger in some time. Obviously, a majority of the electorate is satisfied with the incumbent sheriff.

    And considering the plight of the incumbent, in this year of anti-incumbency, all three Beaufort County Incumbents won re-election by keeping a rather astounding distance from their challengers. I, Stan Deatherage, finished first with 3,924 votes in this Limited Voting election scheme (voters were allowed only one vote for the three available seats in this off-presidential year election). My 3,924 votes set a record as the highest total in an off-presidential year election since this weird, probably unconstitutional, vote process was inflicted upon the electorate of Beaufort County by the United States Justice Department in 1992.

    Highest vote total or no, it was a difficult election as three of the six candidates made elaborate promises that were unwise, yet gave great succor to the special interests that always seem to swirl around the weak actors running for this low political seat that is remarkably important as it is the catch-basin of all government activities that affect all citizens.

    In this election, the huge issue was the probable fiscal insolvency of Beaufort Regional Health System. As the general election process moved forward toward the time honored destiny of conclusion on November 2, 2010, Beaufort County Government was put to task with a bid process of possible suitors for the merger of the aforementioned medical center with fiscally stronger partners. Special interest groups saw the obvious benefits of influencing the candidates that could be compromised to profess these groups' personal needs as probable policy if elected, thereby gaining campaign financing and probable votes from the members of special interest groups.

    Fortunately for the electorate at large of Beaufort County, incumbent Al Klemm was elected as the special interest groups' only advocate, keeping the status quo on the Board of County Commissioners unchanged. Democrat county commissioner, Ed Booth, was also re-elected. We will continue to address this issue as the candidates' finance records are filed, and some of us uncompromised county commissioners continue to either save the county's medical center, or protect the citizen's /taxpayer's asset - Beaufort Regional Health System - through the bid process that must run its course.

    Confrontational? Sure, but that is local politics as the forces of political proponents collide, as they struggle to protect what they hold dear, what they hold sacred. After all is considered, it is just politics, and it is bloodless warfare.