Residency Challenge Filed After Two Ballots Change Kenly Mayor’s Race
KENLY – Every vote truly counted in the Town of Kenly’s mayoral election, where two provisional ballots changed the outcome on Friday and a formal protest now questions whether the apparent winner still lives in town.
Incumbent Mayor H.L. “Tooie” Hales appeared to lose Tuesday night’s election to challenger and town council member Keith Davis by eight votes, 97–89. Davis’s narrow margin hinged on votes cast in a small portion of Kenly that falls inside the Wilson County line.
Wilson County election officials initially reported on Election Night that Mr. Davis received 20 votes (of the 97 cast for him) from the tiny portion of the Kenly city limits within Wilson County, while Hales received none. But by Thursday, Wilson election officials discovered a computer uploading error — Davis had received only 11 votes, not 20. After the correction, incumbent Hales was shown as the winner, and held a slim one-vote lead, 89–88.
Two Provisional Ballots Change The Winner
That changed less than 24 hours later.
Friday afternoon, the Johnston County Board of Elections reviewed and approved two provisional ballots cast for Kenly mayor. After they were opened, both votes went to Davis, flipping the race back in his favor, 90–89.
But Davis’s celebration was short-lived.
Residency Challenge
Kenly resident David Grady filed a formal protest with the Johnston County elections board on Friday, alleging that mayor-elect Davis no longer resides within the Kenly town limits and is therefore ineligible to serve as mayor, or on the town council.
In his written complaint, Grady said Davis owns property in Kenly but has been living primarily in South Carolina, where he serves as pastor of Bethel AME Church in Georgetown.
“Back earlier this year, he (Keith Davis) and his wife Monica resigned their teaching positions at NJHS (North Johnston High School) to enable him to become the Pastor of Bethel AME Church in Georgetown, SC. It is my understanding that he spends the majority of his time working in SC… Currently he is still serving as a Town Councilman in Kenly, but should have resigned that position upon moving to SC… He should have been ineligible to serve since he took residence in South Carolina, and should have been ineligible to run for Mayor. I think we need a Mayor who truly lives in our community,” Mr. Grady wrote in his complaint.
An online search lists Keith Davis as the pastor of Bethel AME Church in Georgetown, located 200 miles from Kenly.
Vote Recount, Preliminary Hearing Set For Monday
Johnston County Board of Elections Director Leigh Anne Price said the election board will conduct a discretionary recount of all votes in the mayor’s race at 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10. Price said she has requested Wilson’s County Board of Elections also recount their ballots in the Kenly mayor’s race.
At that same meeting on Monday, the Johnston County election board will hold a preliminary hearing to decide whether there is sufficient evidence to move forward with a formal hearing on the residency protest.
Under North Carolina election law, the burden of proof in a residency challenge lies with the protester, not the candidate.
Reached by email Friday afternoon Mr. Davis decline to comment on the outcome and claimed he was not aware of the residency protest filed against him today. “I don’t have any comment pertaining to the election until the results are certified. The count has fluctuated multiple times since the election that I am not comfortable discussing the matter until certification is completed.”
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So funny how people got something to say about the election for mayor . They are mad because it’s a black man as mayor the people have spoken so why change the votes. The information they is being given is fiction. Mr Keith Davis is a long time resident of Kenly Nc . Therefore put some respect on his name.
Everyone knows that he lives in Kenly NC so what’s the issue.? The formal mayor Grady is a hater and needs to mind his business . What have he done when he was mayor of Kenly Nc not a thing..
Please tell me that English isn’t your first language.
Stop with the “Because it’s a black Man” bull dookie! If the Man isn’t a resident of Kenly, kick the results out.
First of all I can say what the h*ll I want too . Ain’t nobody pulling the race card. It’s common sense . You taking it out of context. Whether black or white or what the f**k other . The situation will be different. if the mayor was white or Hispanic the situation wouldn’t be an issue about where they are living in town or not. The whole thing is fiction . He does live in kenly I see him every day in kenly … H*ll I basically live down the street from him. Kenly isn’t so big. You can see him from time to time around town.If it was a issue before it should of been addressed along time ago. Instead of being addressed now after the votes are accounted for. Like I said it’s fiction and the truth should be revealed and those are you who got so much to say without knowing the facts. Will look stupid . The source who telling the information needs to mind his own business and shouldnt get involved. So why change the votes when they are accounted for. Certain people don’t want change.
Wait, I did t think computers could make errors in counting votes……hmmmmm
What’s even funnier is that card that always gets pulled out when something doesn’t go someone’s way, has a negative balance on it. How about a more intellectual response? Or are we thinking with our feelings and not facts?
F**k what u talking about . The fictional information is wrong. I know the truth. You is the one thinking wrong. He lives in Kenly Nc . The votes were accounted for so why change it. The source is completely wrong . The concern should have been addressed then not after the votes are accounted for. Black or white it shouldn’t matter who runs for mayor as long as they represent everything that they stand for and explaining how if elected they will work to change things for the greater . Common sense black men always get treated bad and labeled even when they are doing great things for their community. So no I’m not pulling the race card just speaking facts.
I have no dog in the fight. Do you not think it’s odd that the election board found an “uploading error”? Does it not make you wonder if this has happened in other elections? This isn’t something I came up with, it is what the election board found.
Several of my Parker relatives are buried in Kenly off of the highway, I only found where they were buried thanks to my phone call to the Town of Kenly last summer, or so, when I was doing supplementals for local NSDAR. The Parkers were in the Revolutionary War. I went out and took pictures, but a woman who lives at the beach owns the land they are buried at. And, they do crops around it, like soybeans. There is an old faded pinkish looking PARKER sign and falling down black wrought iron fence. Kenly needs help!
Love to know where this is.
Why is Grady interjecting himself into this situation? I’m curious as to why he is suddenly making this an issue AFTER Davis won. Why didn’t Grady bring this to light prior to Election Day and the subsequent results? Is he personally bothered by the election of a POC or has he been motivated by an external source(s). Move along, sir. On a side note, perhaps the turnout wouldn’t be so abysmal if residents of Kenly’s ETJ were allowed to vote. The decisions made within town hall can have significant impacts on us and our property values as well and we should have a say in how the town is managed.