By Tim Gardner
Avery voters from nineteen precincts went to the polls in Tuesday’s Primary Election to decide Republican races for County Commissioner and Sheriff and the non-partisan Board of Education. They also helped choose the winners of Republican and Democrat contests for the United States House of Representatives (Congress) in District 5.
Turnout was low as only 3,380 out of 11,724 registered voters (28.8 percent) in the county cast ballots.
Incumbent Kevin Frye defeated Jason Lolies for Sheriff. Frye received- 1,687 votes, while Lolies got 1,305.
Frye is unopposed by a Democrat or other Party candidate in November’s General Election.
Incumbents Blake Vance and Wood Hall (Woodie) Young, Jr. and Dennis Aldridge were the top three in votes received for the County Commission seats. Vance got the most votes with 1,441. Young, Jr. followed in second place, receiving 1,312 votes. Aldridge came in third with 1,138 votes. Gerald McKinney finished fourth with 875 votes. Rose Trivett Gates was next with 826 votes. Jonathan Sheppard got 795 votes. Sam Laws received 724 and Clayton Harpold got 465.
Vance, Young, Jr. and Aldridge will face Democrat Dick Crews in the General election. The top three in votes received then will serve on the county commission. The two candidates with the most votes will serve four-year terms, while the candidate with the third most votes will serve a two-year term.
In the Board of Education election, sisters Pat Edwards and Jane Bumgarner were elected. Edwards received the highest vote total (2,126). Bumgarner got 1,306 votes. Incumbent Steve Smith got 1,294 votes. Katie Calloway received 524 and Frances Macgruder 233. There were 34 write-in votes for school board.
Because the Board of Education race is non-partisan, there is only one election (the May primary) for its candidates.
The winners of the Sheriff and Board of Education races will all serve four-year terms.
In the Republican and Democrat races for U.S. Congress, District 5, which encompasses much of the northwestern portion of the state, including Avery County and stretching east to include a portion of Winston-Salem, Virginia Foxx received the most votes (2,188) from Avery County Republican voters. Dillon Gentry garnered 512 votes and Cortland Meader, Jr. got 141.
In the Democrat District 5 race, Jennifer Marshall received 159 votes in Avery County and Denise (DD) Adams got 115.
The district-wide winners—Republican and Democrat— will run against each other in the General Election this fall to decide the Congressional Representative.
An Avery County voting canvass will be held on Friday, May 18 to make sure all vote tabulations are accurate. The State Board of Elections will then have a canvass and any runoffs would be held after the State canvass.
2018 AVERY COUNTY PRIMARY ELECTION VOTING TOTALS
US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 05 – DEMOCRAT (VOTE FOR 1)
Jenny Marshall 159 58.03%
DD Adams 115 41.97%
US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 05 – REPUBLICAN (VOTE FOR 1)
Virginia Foxx 2,188 77.02%
Dillon Gentry 512 18.02%
Cortland J. Meader, Jr. 141 4.96%
AVERY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS – REPUBLICAN (VOTE FOR 3)
Blake Vance 1,441 19.02%
Wood (Woodie) Hall Young, Jr. 1,312 17.32%
Dennis Aldridge 1,138 15.02%
Gerald R. McKinney 875 11.55%
Rose Trivett Gates 826 10.90%
Jonathan Sheppard 795 10.49%
Sam Laws 724 9.56%
Clayton Austin Harpold 465 6.14%
AVERY COUNTY SHERIFF – REPUBLICAN (VOTE FOR 1)
Kevin Frye 1,687 56.38%
Jason Lolies 1,305 43.62%