School Board sees active competition after largely ducking on CRT | Eastern North Carolina Now

After waffling on parental rights to decide if their children would be masked and on Critical Race Theory (CRT), the Beaufort County Board of Education is seeing the biggest challenge to incumbents in years.  Four seats are up this year, in districts 2, 4, 6, 8 and all incumbents have filed for reelection.

In District 2, incumbent Democrat E.C. Peed is being challenged by Charles Hickman, a veteran of US Army Intelligence, former teacher and small businessman, and former county GOP{ chairman. Under the new district lines, this district is competitive.

In District 6, no Democrat filed, but three Republicans will face each other in a primary. Incumbent Michael Bilbro in his last term was known as the school board member most dogmatic about keeping masks on students regardless of what parents wanted, and also one of the Republicans least interested in addressing CRT.  Bilbro also rubbed local Republicans the wrong way by making anti-Trump posts on his Facebook account. Bilbro faces conservative stalwart Sheri Clark and political newcomer Gary Carlton.

In District 8, no Democrat filed but two Republicans will face each other in the primary, incumbent Butch Oliver and political newcomer Donald Shreve.  There is also a conservative Unaffiliated circulating petitions to get on the ballot.

Only District 4 Republican incumbent Terry Williams faces no challenges in the primary or general election.  Williams was the incumbent most sympathetic to parents who objected to CRT.