Compton, Walters, McCready win contested supervisors races for GOP nomination
Dirk Compton, Laura Walters and Andy McCready were the winners Thursday night in contested races for the Republican nominations for supervisor.
In the closest race of the night, incumbent Massie District Supervisor Andy McCready won with 53 votes compared to 51 for challenger John Travis.
Republican Party Chairman Aaron Smith, who presided over the party’s mass meeting held at Central Gym in Pulaski, noted before reading the results of the Massie race that a clerical error had been made during the evening that resulted in one more vote being cast than the number of people registered to vote.
However, Smith said after talking with both McCready and Travis and both candidates agreeing the error had no bearing on the result, McCready was declared the winner by two votes.
In another close race, Compton won the nomination in Draper with 29 votes compared to Carol Smith’s 23.
A three-way race in Ingles produced the largest
winning margin of the evening with Walters collecting 78 votes to Penny Golden’s 6 and incumbent Ingles District Supervisor Ranny O’Dell’s 15.
Two incumbent supervisors, Charles Bopp in Robinson District and Joe Guthrie in Cloyd District were nominated by acclamation as neither had opposition.
An expected challenge of Guthrie in Cloyd District by Thomas Holsinger did not materialize.
County Republicans failed to nominate candidates for Sheriff or Commonwealth’s Attorney, however Tracy Belcher was nominated to run for Treasurer and Kim Matthews was nominated to run for Commissioner of the Revenue.
Neither candidates had opposition within the party.
This will be Matthews’ second try for Commissioner after having lost a Special Election in January held to elect a replacement for former Commissioner Trina Rupe who passed away suddenly last Summer.
Republicans and likely several Democrats filled about two-thirds of Central Gym, with 292 people registered to participate as voters in the mass meeting.
County Democrats will hold a mass meeting to select their party’s candidates in May.
By MIKE WILLIAMS, The Patriot