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Meeker Re-Elected Raleigh Mayor; Road, Housing Bonds Pass

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Raleigh voters passed two bonds and re-elected its mayor to a third term while Durham voters denied an outspoken school board member the chance to become the city's next mayor.

According to unofficial results, Charles Meeker defeated challengers J.H. Ross and Steven Hilton to win his third term as mayor of the City of Raleigh.

In Durham, Jacqueline Wagstaff, who has gained attention for being an outspoken member of the Durham school board, received less than 5 percent of the vote in Tuesday night's primary for Durham mayor. Instead, incumbent William V. Bell will face Jonathan Alston in the general election on Nov. 11 and go for his third term in office.

The unofficial results hinge on a small voter turnout, officials said.

In parts of the Triangle area, there had not been a steady stream of voters heading to the polls. According to the Wake County Board of Elections, some precincts saw turnout as low as 1 percent, while at others, turnout was around 23 percent. In all, officials said voter turnout in Wake County was about 11 percent.

Cumberland

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Durham

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Edgecombe/Nash

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Harnett

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Person

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Vance

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Wake

Cumberland County

Fayetteville City Council

In the primary for the Fayetteville City Council, the top two vote-getters in each district move on to the General Election, which will be held on Nov. 8.

In District 1, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, those candidates who will move on include Keith A. Bates, who had 444 votes (39 percent), and Jeff Riddle, who had 258 votes (23 percent).

In District 3, Robert A. Massey and Edgar Merritt advanced to the General Election as Massey garnered 555 votes (54 percent) and Merritt 249.

In District 5, Lois Kirby and John C. Crawley will meet in the General Election. Kirby received 995 votes (51 percent) and Crawley 544 (28 percent).

Durham County

Durham Mayor

Incumbent William V. Bell will face Jonathan Alston in his bid to earn a third term in officer after the two defeated Jacqueline Wagstaff, who has gained attention for being an outspoken member of the Durham school board, in the primary Tuesday.

According to unofficial results, Wagstaff received less than 5 percent of the vote, while about 88 percent of the voters selected Bell.

Durham City Council

In Ward 1, Cora Cole-McFadden won by a wide margin with 72 percent of the vote and will face Victoria Peterson, who had 17 percent of the vote.

In Ward 2, incumbent Howard Clement III, who had 55 percent of the vote, and Regina Stanley-King will meet in the general election. Stanley-King had about 22 percent.

Incumbent John Best, who received 28 percent, will face a strong challenge from Mike Woodard, who got 52 percent, for the Ward 3 seat. Earlier in the election, as it came to light that six of the candidates in Tuesday's primary elections in Durham had criminal pasts, Best admitted to a DWI charge in 1998 and on-going alimony issues with his ex-wife that landed him in jail for 48 hours.

Edgecombe County/Nash County

Rocky Mount City Council

Reuben C. Blackwell defeated Virginia Swedenborg for the Ward 2 seat on the Rocky Mount City Council. Lamont Wiggins ran unopposed for the Ward 3 seat on the Rocky Mount City Council.

Harnett County

Patsy M. Carson ran unopposed for mayor of Erwin.

W.N. Porter narrowly defeated Jim D. Hartman by a 60 to 50 vote to become Ward 1 Erwin Commissioner.

Person County

Steve Joyner ran unopposed for mayor of Roxboro.

Those elected to the Roxboro City Council include James Allen (16 percent); Wally Burke (14 percent); Henry S. Daniel (16 percent); and Samuel B. Spencer (19 percent).

Vance County

Henderson Mayor

Donald C. Seifert has been re-elected mayor of Henderson after running unopposed.

Henderson Board Of Alderman

In the races for Henderson's Board of Alderman, the winners include: Mary Emma Evans (Ward 1); D. Bernard Alston (Ward 1 At-Large); Robert Gupton (Ward 2); Lynn Hines Harper (Ward 2 At-Large); Garry D. Daeke (Ward 3); Elissa P. Yount (Ward 3 At-Large); Lonnie Davis (Ward 4); and Ranger Wilkerson (Ward 4 At-Large).

Wake County

Raleigh Mayor

Charles Meeker has been re-elected to a third term as the mayor of Raleigh.

With more than 95 precincts reporting, Meeker had 70 percent of the vote to defeat challengers Republican J. H. Ross and Libertarian Steven Hilton.

"We're very fortunate," Meeker said Tuesday night. "I think most people understand we're trying to move Raleigh ahead."

In Raleigh, citizens also approved a $60 million transportation bond that will cover 12 road projects. The projects also include proposals to synchronize traffic lights and reduce speeds in neighborhoods.

"If it had not passed," Meeker said, "it ultimately would have affected our quality of life, but citizens said it's something we've got to do."

Voters also passed a $20 million affordable housing bond that will help people with low and moderate incomes purchases houses. Since both measures passed, officials said, a tax increase would likely occur.

Raleigh City Council

Raleigh voters also picked city council members.

The bigger race was for the two at-large seats as former councilman John Odom lost his comeback bid.

Joyce Kekas, who was appointed to the council earlier this year, won one of the seats, while

Russ Stephenson, an architect who works with historic preservation and urban design, will join the council.

Four of the five district seats on Raleigh's city council were unopposed races and those victors Jessie Taliaferro (District B), James West (District C), Thomas Crowder (District D), and Philip Isley (District E).

As of Wednesday night, the seat for District A was too close to call.

Incumbent Tommy Craven leads Paul Anderson by 177 votes with all but one precinct reporting.

The outcome is likely to come down to provisional ballots.

The Wake County Board of Elections will start researching the validity of the provisional ballots on Thursday.

A final outcome is expected early next week.

Wake County Board Of Education

It looks like Bill Fletcher's drawn out fight to lead the state's public schools may have hurt his chances closer to home.

Fletcher served about 12 years on the Wake County Board of Education, but he will not be going back for the next term.

He placed third in District 9, after political newcomers Eleanor Goettee and Curt Stangler.

Stangler could request a run-off because Goettee won about 48 percent of the vote and not 50 percent, which would have given Goettee an outright win.

In District 1, which covers northeast Raleigh, three candidates went for the school board's open seat. According to unofficial results, Lori Millberg will meet Tillie Turlington in a run-off. Millberg received 49 percent, while Turlington had 40 percent.

District 2, which covers southern Wake County, including Garner and Fuquay-Varina, voters elected Horace Tart, who defeated Debra McHenry, Wanda Weeks Denning, and Fernie Williams.

Finally, in District 7, school board chair Patti Head regains her seat by a large margin.

Cary Town Council

In Cary, voters re-elected all three incumbents to the Town Council. The incumbents include Julie Aberg Robison (At-Large), Jennifer Robinson (District A), and Jack W. Smith (District C).

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