Brannon, Rich win First District GOP Straw Poll | Eastern North Carolina Now

    GOP Senate candidate Dr. Greg Brannon handily won the straw poll among delegates and alternates attending the First Congressional District Republican convention held Saturday. Brannon took 53% of the vote, followed by Ted Alexander at 17%, Mark Harris at 16% and Thom Tillis at 14%.

    This is Brannon's second major win among GOP delegates at a recent eastern congressional district Republican convention. On the preceding weekend, Brannon won the Third Congressional District Republican convention straw poll with 59% of the vote, followed by Thom Tillis at 24%, and others at 17%. Congressman Walter Jones also handily won that straw poll over Taylor Griffin.

    In the First District straw poll for Congress, Arthur Rich edged out Brent Shypulefski by 51% to 49%. For Supreme Court Chief Justice. Mark Martin received 95% of the vote to 5% for Ola Lewis.

    In the straw poll for 2016 GOP Presidential nomination, First District delegates preferred Senator Rand Paul at 20%, followed by former Gov. Mike Huckabee at 15%, Governor Scott Walker at 13%, Senator Ted Cruz at 13%, former Governor Jeb Bush at 9%, Governor Bobby Jindal at 7%, Governor Chris Christie at 6%, and others at 17%.

    The convention also adopted resolutions to be presented to the state GOP convention, and filled three at-large seats on the state and district GOP executive committees, which were won by Emily Walker, Jerry Schill, and Ronald Cherry. The First Congressional District is made up of all or parts of twenty four counties. Beaufort County is split between the First and Third Districts.