THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 9, 1996 TAG: 9605090385
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SERIES: Decision '96: Election results
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 123 lines
District Court Judge Edgar Barnes rode strong showings in Dare, Perquimans and Gates counties to a primary election victory that gave the Manteo attorney his first full term on the bench.
Barnes defeated Pasquotank County attorney Ike McRee 7,978 votes to 6,143 in a Democratic showdown that was not decided until early Wednesday morning. He faces no opposition in the November general election.
Appointed to the 1st Judicial District Court seat in 1993, Barnes did not take office until June 1995. His appointment was delayed by the U.S. Justice Department, which challenged the formation of the seven-county district on racial grounds. The challenge was dropped in May 1995, and Barnes took office. He will now serve a full four-year term on the bench.
Barnes, 36, was buoyed by a strong showing in his home county. He carried Dare County by a more than 3-to-1 margin, 2,516 to 739. In Perquimans County, he won by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, 1,141 to 598.
The story was much the same in Gates County. Barnes won by a 2-to-1 margin, 786 to 389.
``I'm thankful to the Lord and my friends for this victory,'' Barnes said Wednesday.
McRee carried his home county, Pasquotank, as well as Currituck County. However, the win in Currituck was by a narrow 20-vote margin, 945 to 925. Barnes said the small margin was critical.
``I'm thrilled with the way things went in Currituck County,'' Barnes said. ``He had a lot of support in Currituck, but I thought we did well there. We also got about one-third of the vote in his home county, which is good.''Barnes said he will work with all components of the judicial system to make district court more efficient.
``We need to work on standards and procedures that will make district court more convenient for victims, witnesses and defendants,'' Barnes said. ``I hope to meet with people in the clerk's office, the Sheriff's Department and the local police chiefs to see how we can do things better.''
Barnes praised McRee, saying he ran a ``good, strong race.'' The two political newcomers waged the most hotly contested race in the district.
``Our race energized the local elections,'' Barnes said. ``It was a local race that caught a lot of interest.'' < [SIDE BAR TO MAIN STORY]
Candidates who will be on November ballots in the Albemarle area.
NATIONAL RACE
U.S. Senate: Harvey B. Gantt (D), incumbent Jesse Helms (R).
U.S. House of Representatives, 1st District: Incumbent Eva Clayton (D), Ted Tyler (R).
U.S. House of Representatives, 3rd District: George Parrott (D), incumbent Walter B. Jones Jr. (R).
STATE RACES
Governor: James B. Hunt Jr. (D); Robin Hayes (R).
North Carolina Senate: Incumbent Marc Basnight (D).
North Carolina House of Representatives 1st District: Incumbent W.C. ``Bill'' Owens Jr. (D).
North Carolina House of Representatives 86th District: Incumbent Bill Culpepper (D).
District Court Judge 1st District: Incumbent Edgar Barnes (D).
CAMDEN COUNTY
Register of Deeds: PeggyErvinia Kight (D), Kristie Sawyer Corprew (R).
Board of Commissioners, South Mills Township: Incumbent J.C. Rountree (D), Michael E. Andrews (R).
Board of Commissioners, Courthouse Township: Incumbent Larry G. Lamb (D).
Board of Commissioners, At-Large: Incumbent Samuel K. Shaw Sr. (D).
CHOWAN COUNTY
Register of Deeds: Incumbent Susan S. Rountree (D).
Board of Commissioners, District 1, Seat 1: Harry L. Winslow (D).
Board of Commissioners, District 2, Seat 1: Incumbent George E. Jones (D).
Board of Commissioners, District 3, Seat 1: Incumbent James E. Taylor (D).
Board of Commissioners, At-Large: Incumbent Allen F. Downum (D).
CURRITUCK COUNTY
Register of Deeds: Incumbent Charlene Dowdy (D).
Board of Commissioners, Crawford Township: Incumbent Gene A. Gregory (D), William Dobney (R).
Board of Commissioners, Fruitville Township: Incumbent Ernest Bowden (D), Gary Montalbine (R).
Board of Education, Moyock Township: Incumbent Janet Taylor, Patricia Ferebee Blowe.
Board of Education, Fruitville Township: Incumbent John E. Barnes.
DARE COUNTY
Board of Commissioners, District 1: Incumbent Clarence Skinner (D), Richard Johnson (R).
Board of Commissioners, District 2: Incumbent Robert V. ``Bobby'' Owens Jr. (D), Stephen S. Sawin (R), Tommy G. Perkins (Lib).
Board of Commissioners, District 3: Martin Booth (D), Cheryl P. Byrd (R).
Board of Commissioners, District 4: Incumbent Joseph ``Mac'' Midgett (D), Douglas J. Price (R).
GATES COUNTY
Register of Deeds: Incumbent Sharon G. Harrell (D).
Board of Commissioners, Sunbury District: Incumbent Hollis F. Creecy (D), John D. Hill Jr. (R).
Board of Commissioners, Hobbsville District: L. Frank Rountree (D).
HYDE COUNTY
Board of Commissioners, 2nd District: Incumbent Barbara O'Neal Deese (D).
Board of Commissioners, 3rd District: Frank D. ``Wayne'' Teeter Jr. (D).
Board of Commissioners, 5th District: Incumbent Willie Edward Gibbs (D).
PASQUOTANK COUNTY
Register of Deeds: Incumbent Dollie Jones Summerour (D).
Board of Commissioners, At-Large: Incumbent Zee B. Lamb (D), Jerome H. ``Jerry'' Goldschmidt.
Board of Commissioners, Northern Inside: Levin B. Culpepper (D).
Board of Commissioners, Southern Outside: Incumbent Hugh W. Clinkscales (D).
PERQUIMANS COUNTY
Register of Deeds: Incumbent Deborah S. Reed (D).
Board of Commissioners (three seats): M. Shirley Yates (D), Archie Miller (D), L. Wayne Howell (D).
TYRRELL COUNTY
Register of Deeds: Melanie L. Armstrong (D).
Board of Commissioners (three seats): Gordon A. Deaver (D), incumbent Margaret Ann ``Peggy'' Griffin (D), Zack Brickhouse (D), Durwood M. Cooper Jr. (R). <
KEYWORDS: ELECTION RESULTS NORTH CAROLINA APPOINTMENT by CNB