28 Votes Separate Candidates
In what was expected to be one of the closest races at the ballot box on Tuesday, the clear winner of the race was not decided.
After all the votes were tallied Tuesday night, incumbent Johnston County Commissioner Chad Stewart of Four Oaks held a slim 28 vote lead over challenger Richard “Dickie” Braswell of Princeton.
In unofficial results, Stewart received 4,351 votes to Braswell’s 4,323 in the Republican primary.
Johnston County Board of Elections Director Leigh Anne Price said absentee and provisional ballots for the May 8th primary will not be reviewed and added to the vote total until a meeting by the elections board on Thursday, May 17th at 5:00pm. Price said there are enough absentee and provisional ballots to be reviewed and certified on May 17th that make the race too close to call. Absentee ballots postmarked by 5:00pm on May 8th can still be counted if received within 3 business days.
The winner of the race will not be determined until the absentee and provisional numbers are added in on May 17th at 5:00pm.
Chad Stewart was appointed in 2013 to fill out the 2 year unexpired term of his father, the late Wade Stewart, who died while in office. Chad was elected in 2014 to the District 3 seat. He is currently the Johnston County Fire Commissioner.
Dickie Braswell is the President of R.D. Braswell Construction Company of Smithfield and the Chairman of the Moccasin Creek Drainage District.
Both candidates campaigned on their conservative Christian values and experience as business owners. Both said growth, public safety and education were priorities.
The winner of the Republican primary will not have any Democratic opposition for the District 3 commissioners seat in November. District 3 represents southern and eastern Johnston County including the Four Oaks, Bentonville, and Princeton communities.
