College student Wyatt Gable defeats 10-term state Rep. George Cleveland in North Carolina primary
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — College student Wyatt Gable defeated a 10-term North Carolina state House member in a primary election this week, while another incumbent currently trails in a very close race with his intraparty opponent.
The 21-year-old Gable, a student at East Carolina University, defeated Rep. George Cleveland of Onslow County.
Meanwhile, five-term Rep. Cecil Brockman of Guilford County, a Democrat targeted by some activists in his party for his willingness to vote with Republicans on some key bills, survived a primary challenge from James Adams.
The Associated Press called victories for Brockman and Gable on Thursday after concluding there weren’t enough outstanding votes for their trailing opponents to catch up.
The margins between primary candidates for two other House seats are narrow enough for a trailing candidate to seek a recount. As a result, the AP has not called a primary race involving 10-term Democratic Rep. Michael Wray of Northampton County. Unofficial primary results show Wray trailing rival Rodney Pierce of Halifax County.
While the differential in unofficial results between GOP Rep. Sam Watford of Davidson County and Eddie Gallimore also is within the margin to seek a recount, the AP declared Watford the winner later Thursday after the trailing Gallimore said in an interview that he would not ask for one. Watford is in his fourth House term, while Gallimore is a former senator.
State law says trailing candidates in legislative contests can seek a recount if their vote totals are no more than 1 percentage point behind the leading candidate. Provisional ballots will be reviewed by county elections boards and added to vote totals. The boards meet late next week to finalize tabulations.
Cleveland, an 84-year-old former Marine Corps drill instructor, lost narrowly to Gable, who leads the ECU chapter of Turning Point USA, an activist group for young conservatives. Gable’s campaign website says he would work to lower taxes, renew home economics classes in public schools and improve health care fveterans.
Gable told The Daily News of Jacksonville that his success in the race “came down to people wanting a fresh set of ideas.”
“It took a lot of hard work by me and my team,” he said. “A lot of doors were knocked, and phone calls were made.”
Cleveland, a budget subcommittee chairman for dozens of state agencies, has advanced bills supporting the military and discouraging illegal immigration. The Associated Press left him a phone message seeking comment Thursday.
Like Brockman, Wray has been criticized by outside groups and other Democrats for aligning himself at times with leaders in the Republican-controlled House, who made him one of the senior chairmen on the powerful House Finance Committee.
Two other General Assembly incumbents lost their primary elections on Tuesday: Democratic Sen. Mike Woodard of Durham County and Republican Rep. Kevin Crutchfield of Cabarrus County.
Winners in these legislative primaries will all face November general election opposition, except for Wray or Pierce, who would have no Republican opposition.
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A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Rep. Cecil Brockman would not face a Republican opponent in November.