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Republicans Eggers and Aceto To Serve Second Term on Watauga’s Board of Elections

Aceto, Eggers and Campbell at February's meeting. Photo by Lonnie Webster
Bill Aceto (from left), Luke Eggers and Kathleen Campbell at a meeting earlier this year. Photo by Lonnie Webster

By Jesse Wood

Republicans Luke Eggers and Bill Aceto will serve a second term on the Watauga County Board of Elections.

Since the Democrats only nominated one person – Stella Anderson, who served on the board as late as two years ago – the State Board of Elections won’t select the Democrats representative until it next meets on July 13, according to new Watauga County Board of Elections Director Matt Snyder.

The state GOP nominated Eggers, Aceto and local attorney Nathan Miller, who previously served as chair on the Watauga County Board of Commissioners.

Miller, however, said he didn’t have a desire to serve on the board. Earlier in the month, High Country Press reached out to Miller. Out of town at the time, he provided this statement via email:

“I do not have a great desire to be on the board of elections but I am honored by having my named selected as a nominee. I was told that my name was selected because I have shown my ability to run a meeting efficiently and effectively. The party knows that I wouldn’t put up with the nonsense that Kathleen Campbell and her puppet master Pam Williamson have orchestrated in the last two years.  If selected I would ensure that all citizens have equal access to the polls if they choose to use it and not just pander to the Democrat voters which was been done in the years prior to the Eggers and Aceto appointment.  That being said, I would rather not be selected as I am perfectly content helping my wife raise our three little girls.”

Miller recently sued former Democrat BOE board member Kathleen Campbell, who decided not to offer herself up for a second consecutive term, if appointed, in a public records dispute (see here and here).

Last week with all the requested public records in Miller’s hands for some time, Superior Court Judge Anderson Cromer essentially dismissed Miller’s lawsuit and denied motions seeking to recoup attorney fees from both parties, according to court records.

Miller, who represented himself, sought nearly $5,800 for his time, while Campbell spent $15,000 for representation in this lawsuit.

As for the new board members, they will swear in on July 21 at noon. Their first meeting as a board will also take place on the same day. Normally, monthly meetings take place on the first Wednesday of the month.

However, Chair Luke Eggers decided it was pointless to have two meetings in the same month when both could be combined around the same time, according to Watauga County Board of Elections staff member Donna Houck.