Incumbents fare well in elections
By Scott Nicholson

Incumbents fared well in municipal elections Tuesday, with eight of the nine sitting members defending their seats in unofficial returns.

In Blowing Rock, incumbents Keith Tester and Barbara Ball finished in the top three, while newcomer Thomas Lee “Tommy” Klutz finished second with 267 votes. Tester (293 votes) and Klutz get four-year terms, while incumbent Barbara Ball finished third with 261 votes to earn a two-year term. Incumbent David Wray finished  fourth with 193 votes, while Paul Petersen got 162 votes. Mayor J.B. Lawrence was unopposed and received 351 votes, with 34 write-ins.

In Beech Mountain, incumbents Peter Chamberlin (78 votes) and Gil Adams (76 votes) finished first and second in the voting to earn four-year terms. Randy Corn won a two-year term with 62 votes. Other candidates were Russell Reiman (31 votes), Jim Duffy (33 votes), Jennifer Bryant-Ball (27 votes), Charles Serafim (37 votes) and Brad Mettee (16 votes). The mayor of Beech Mountain will be elected from within the town council.

In Seven Devils, incumbents Bob Dodson, Bill Wilkinson and Kay Ehlinger ran unopposed to retain their seats. Dodson, who currently serves as mayor as elected by the town council, received 35 votes and Ehlinger got 29 votes to both win four-year terms.

Wilkinson earned a two-year term with 28 votes.

Voter turnout was 30 percent in Beech Mountain, 28 percent in Blowing Rock and 19 percent in Seven Devils.

The official canvass will be Friday, and Board of Elections officials don’t anticipate any run-off races.

• Scott Nicholson may be contacted

at nicholson@wataugademocrat.com.