LUMBERTON — The candidates in Robeson County’s District Court 16-B Seat 2 election campaign must wait a little longer before learning who is the winner or if there will be another election, but there will be a new election to see who represents Robeson County in the U.S. House.
“The State Board deferred a decision on the District Court race until a legal question could be resolved. We expect that a decision from the board would be forthcoming in the near future,” board spokesman Patrick Gannon wrote in a statement emailed Thursday to The Robesonian.
The 16-B decision came on the same day the State Board of Elections unanimously ordered a new election in the race for the N.C. District 9 seat in the U.S. House. It is the only uncertified congressional election campaign in the United States.
Jack Moody Jr., the Republican candidate in the 16-B campaign, was in Raleigh when the state board announced its decision regarding the judicial race.
“I was there for that, and I heard their decision, and we are waiting on a decision from the state board,” Moody said.
Moody would not speculate about the “legal question.” He did say that if the board calls for another election he will be a candidate.
“If they call for a new election, I’ve come too far not to be in it,” Moody said.
Moody’s opponent in the 16-B race, Democrat Vanessa Burton, did not return multiple telephone calls seeking comment.
Both rulings came at the end of four days of testimony in a public evidentiary hearing called by the State Board of Elections to examine evidence collected in an investigation into claims of absentee ballot fraud in the congressional race. The claims rose out of Bladen County but also cast a cloud of doubt over the 16-B election.
Doubt about the legitimacy of the vote tallies in the District Court race was the reason given by the state board for not certifying the results. Early results showed Moody won. But the victory was given to Burton after absentee and provisional ballots were counted.
In the District 9 race, early results showed Republican Mark Harris had a small lead over Democrat Dan McCready.
“The bipartisan, 5-0 vote came after Republican candidate Mark Harris, who had led Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes, conceded during his testimony that the public’s confidence had been undermined to such an extent that a new election was warranted,” according to a state board press release.
Before the state board’s vote, member David C. Black said the staff’s investigation should serve as a lesson that the board will do its best to ensure elections are run properly and fairly, according to the release.
“As we stated before, this did not help the reputation of North Carolina, but we’ve turned the corner now,” Black said.
The state board will set dates for a primary and a general election at a subsequent meeting, according to the release. That will leave Robeson County among counties ranging westward to Charlotte as well as parts of Bladen and Cumberland without representation in the interim.
The N.C. Republican Party was quick to express support for Harris and his decision.
“We respect Dr. Harris’ decision on behalf of the voters,” state party Chairman Robin Hayes said in an emailed statement. “This has been a tremendously difficult situation for all involved and we wish him the best as he recovers from his illness and subsequent complications.”
Hayes also said the NCGOP will continue to work with legislators and investigators to improve the electoral system so that similar situations can be avoided in the future.
Dallas Woodhouse, NCGOP executive director, also expressed the party’s support in an emailed statement.
“We support our candidate’s decision in this matter. We will do everything we can to help the process and system improve in the future,” Woodhouse said.
McCready applauded the decision in a statement.
“From the moment the first vote was stolen in North Carolina, from the moment the first voice was silenced by election fraud, the people have deserved justice,” he said. “Today was a great step forward for democracy in North Carolina.”
