For the first time since taking office 10 years ago, state Sen. Danny Britt appears to have survived a surprisingly close election, though he’s not out of the woods yet.
Britt, a Robeson County Republican whose district also includes Hoke and Scotland counties, holds less than a 0.5-point lead over Democrat Catina Hamm, unofficial results show. Britt had 268 more votes than Hamm as of Tuesday night, but provisional ballots have not been tallied yet and the contest could go to a recount.
Britt has handily won every election since 2016, when he became the first Republican in modern history to represent Robeson County in the state Senate.
Democratic candidates trounced Republicans across North Carolina on Election Day. The party reclaimed a majority in the state House and won enough seats to break the GOP supermajority in the state Senate, according to the Associated Press.
While Democrats saw less success in Robeson County, they narrowed the margins in many races. Hamm secured 41% of the vote in the county, compared to 34% won by Britt’s Democrat challenger, Kathy Britt, in 2024. (Hamm won in Hoke and Scotland counties, which saw higher voter turnout rates than Robeson.)
“Danny has been a loyal fixture in this district since even before he boated home to pick up constituents off roofs after Hurricane Matthew,” said Pat Ryan, a campaign spokesperson for Britt. “He’s up by several hundred votes, and we feel confident he’ll be ahead when the election is called.”
Hamm did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
Another longtime Republican held a narrow lead: U.S. Rep. David Rouzer, a Republican who represents much of southeastern North Carolina, including Robeson, in Congress. He led Democrat Kimberly Hardy by less than 1 point.
“We’re hoping that it is the beginning of sanity in Robeson County,” said Batt, who now serves as first vice chair of the county’s Democratic Party. “We’re not like hooting and hollering yet. We’re being cautiously optimistic.”
Generations of Robeson County voters, including members of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, reliably picked Democratic candidates. While registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters still far outnumber Republicans, the electorate has shifted to the political right over the past decade.
Many voters say the Republican Party better aligns with their views on immigration, abortion, and other social issues. They picked President Donald Trump three times, and many Lumbees credit him with pushing Congress to grant full federal recognition to the tribe late last year.
John Lowery, chairman of the Lumbee Tribe, has represented Robeson County since he was appointed last year to fill the seat left vacant by his brother, Jarrod, who took a job with the Trump administration. Lowery won on Tuesday with nearly 54% of the vote. But he garnered significantly less support than Jarrod Lowery’s 65% in 2024.
County Commissioners
Robeson County voters ousted two Republican county commissioners who changed their party affiliation from Democrat to Republican last year. It was the first time Republicans gained control of the county board, which is responsible for setting taxes, funding schools, and more.
Faline Locklear Dial lost to Harry Warriax, an unaffiliated candidate who entered the race after the primary, by less than 1 percentage point, according to unofficial results. Herndon lost to Democrat Mike Ferguson, owner of Ferguson’s restaurant in St. Pauls, by over 12 points.
David Edge, a Republican who chairs the Robeson County Board of Commissioners, held less than a 1-point lead over Democratic challenger Ray Cox.
Batt said controversy surrounding Edge motivated Democrats to vote.
Some residents called for Edge to resign earlier this year when his Facebook account posted a meme that called President Barack Obama “a Black racist queer.” Edge later apologized, and his fellow commissioners declined to censure him.
Edge said residents blamed commissioners for water contamination in St. Pauls and other parts of the county, which he attributed to the Chemours plant along the border of Cumberland and Bladen counties. The county will receive $22.8 million over the next 10 years after it settled a lawsuit with the chemical company.
The Southern Environmental Law Center is suing Robeson County over the contamination in St. Pauls, claiming the local landfill is to blame. Herndon’s district includes St. Pauls.
“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.”
Batt said she remains disappointed that Locklear Dial, Herndon, and commissioner Judy Sampson switched to the GOP last year. If the election results hold, the board will be split 4-3 in favor of Republicans (compared to the current 6-2 split).
“I’m hoping that these are real Democrats when they get on the county commission,” she said of the newcomers. “That’s going to be the real acid test.”
Sheriff
Burnis Wilkins, a Democrat who has served as sheriff since 2018, won reelection with almost 75% of the vote. He defeated Republican challenger Dakota Dimery.
“This victory isn’t about me,” Wilkins said in a Facebook post Tuesday. “It’s about the dedicated men and women of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office who put on their uniforms every day and work tirelessly to serve and protect our citizens. They deserve the credit for the progress we’ve made.”
Another Democrat, District Attorney Matt Scott, was reelected after running unopposed.