David Edge, a Republican who chairs the Robeson County Board of Elections, appeared to keep his seat on Election Day, even as voters ousted two other GOP members.
But his Democratic opponent, Ray Cox, had a four-vote lead after county election officials counted provisional ballots on November 10. Certified results show the lead dropped to three votes on November 13. Under state law, Edge can request a recount until 5 p.m. Monday since he lost by less than 1% of the total vote.
Edge, who was first elected in 2010, said Friday he did not want to comment until “it was all over with.”
The shakeup on the board, which determines local tax rates and funds schools, is part of a blue tsunami that washed over North Carolina. Democrats flipped several congressional seats, regained a majority in the state House, and weakened Republicans’ control of the state Senate.
Still, Robeson County helped some Republicans stay in office, including U.S. Rep. David Rouzer and state Sen. Danny Britt. But some voters said it was time for change on the local Board of Commissioners. The only incumbent who won reelection was Democrat Melvin Ellison, who ran unopposed.
“It’s time we see some new faces,” said Renferd Scott, who voted in Pembroke on Election Day.
Faline Locklear Dial, who joined the board in 2018 and serves as vice chair, lost by 28 votes to unaffiliated challenger Harry Warriax. Warriax declared victory on election night, and Locklear Dial conceded after the provisional ballot count.
“I am satisfied with the results because I ran an honest campaign with integrity and grace,” Locklear Dial wrote in a Facebook post. “I gave my all to the constituents of my district and the county these last eight years as a whole and I have no regrets.”
Warriax is the assistant director and a pre-trial release coordinator for the Robeson County Offender Resource Center. He described himself as a faith-based leader who will “move Robeson County forward in a positive direction.” He did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
Republican incumbent Lance Herndon, who was first elected to the board in 2008, lost to Democrat Mike Ferguson by more than 500 votes. Ferguson is a St. Pauls native and operates a restaurant in town. He told Border Belt Independent that he ran for office after his wife encouraged him to help make the change he wanted to see in Robeson County. He said he plans to focus on improving the county’s water quality, infrastructure, and schools.
“I want people to work together because nothing gets done if everybody only holds home to one side or the other,” Ferguson said.
Locklear Dial and Herndon changed their party affiliation from Democrat to Republican last year, saying the GOP better reflected their constituents’ values and priorities. It was the first time Republicans gained control of the county board.
While registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters far outnumber Republicans in Robeson County, the electorate has shifted to the political right over the past decade. Many voters, including members of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, say the Republican Party better aligns with their views on immigration, abortion, and other social issues. Voters picked President Donald Trump three times, and many Lumbees credit him with pushing Congress to grant the tribe full federal recognition late last year.
But some Robeson County residents called for Edge to resign earlier this year after he posted a meme that called President Barack Obama “a Black racist queer” to his Facebook page. Edge later apologized, and his fellow commissioners declined to censure him.
Edge, who led Cox by 10 votes on election night, previously told Border Belt Independent that the county’s water issues negatively impacted local Republicans this election.
Robeson was among 10 localities that sued Chemours over PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, pollution attributed to the company’s plant along the border of Cumberland and Bladen counties. The county will receive $22.8 million over the next 10 years after settling the lawsuit.
The Southern Environmental Law Center is suing Robeson County over PFAS contamination in St. Pauls, claiming the local landfill is to blame. Edge has said Chemours, not the county, caused the contamination.
“There’s been a lot of controversy about the water and the landfill stuff,” Edge said, “and I’m sure that cost a lot of votes for everybody.”
Cox, who ran against Edge in 2018 and 2022 but lost, declined to comment. Cox’s son, Brandon Cox, posted about his father’s victory on Facebook after the provisional ballot count.
“We’re proud of the man our community chose: someone with experience, a heart for service, and a deep love for his family and community,” Brandon Cox wrote. “Ray is ready to bring the change District 6 has been calling for and to listen, work hard, and serve with integrity.”
Heidi Perez-Moreno contributed to this reporting.