Before getting to work, I shall post the latest results in John Hood’s top (baker’s) ten. This is a good source of information for election returns in NC.
• Keith Presnell lost to Joe Sam Queen in Senate 47, 35,884 : 41,421. Talk around the water cooler was not supportive of Queen after sound bites escaped about him wanting to meter wells.
• Debbie Clary inched by Keith Melton in Senate 46, 35,867 : 35,137. Clary was one of few Republicans to win.
• Steve Goss defeated Jerry Butler in Senate 45, 45,821 : 39,158.
• John Forlines lost to Edgar Starnes in House 87, 11,434 : 15,369. Forlines was one of few Democrats to lose.
• Ray Warren squeaked by Mark Hollo in House 88, 15,681 : 15,472.
• Jane Whilden beat Tim Moffitt in House 116, 51.70% : 48.30%, even though Tim sued Jane for sending out a mailer that looked like a postcard signed by him saying he would be away gallivanting if elected to office.
• Burke sales tax*
• Henderson sales tax*
• Cherokee sales tax*
• Mitchell sales tax*
• Polk transfer tax*
* I couldn’t find any results. Perhaps the taxes were not listed on the ballot as “taxes,” but as something like “economic development tools.”
The people of Boone voted 5,534 : 2,085 in favor of water bonds.