Republicans Sweep Brunswick County Offices; Voters Approve $349.6 Million School Bond

BOLIVIA, N.C. — Preliminary election returns from Tuesday’s midterm general election show a clean sweep for Republican candidates across countywide and General Assembly contests in Brunswick County, alongside strong local approval for a major school bond referendum.

Federal & Statewide Races in Brunswick County

In the federal contests, Republican candidates carried Brunswick County across the board:

• U.S. Senate: Republican Michael Whatley earned 44,936 votes (51.84%) in Brunswick County over Democrat Roy Cooper, who received 39,795 votes (45.91%). Libertarian Shannon W. Bray took 1,267 votes (1.46%) and Green Party candidate Michael Dublin received 690 votes (0.80%).

• U.S. House District 7: Incumbent Republican David Rouzer carried the county with 49,312 votes (56.84%) to defeat Democrat Kimberly Hardy (36,840 votes / 42.47%) and Libertarian Maad Abu-Ghazalah (600 votes / 0.69%).

• N.C. Supreme Court (Seat 1): Republican challenger Sarah Stevens led the local tally with 46,995 votes (54.60%) against Democratic incumbent Anita Earls, who received 39,079 votes (45.40%).

• N.C. Court of Appeals: Republican judicial candidates swept all three seats in Brunswick County:

  • Seat 1: Michael C. Byrne (R) 49,060 (57.09%) def. John S. Arrowood (D) 36,871 (42.91%).

  • Seat 2: George Cooper Bell (R) 48,869 (56.93%) def. Tobias (Toby) Hampson (D) 36,974 (43.07%).

  • Seat 3: Craig Collins (R) 48,289 (56.48%) def. Christine Marie Walczyk (D) 37,207 (43.52%).

N.C. General Assembly Races

Incumbent Republicans representing Brunswick County won re-election to serve in the North Carolina General Assembly:

• N.C. Senate District 8: Incumbent Republican Bill Rabon won the district, taking 47,835 votes (55.36%) over Democrat Richard (Rick) Combes (36,581 votes / 42.33%) and Libertarian Tim White (1,994 votes / 2.31%).

• N.C. House District 17: Covering northern and western Brunswick County, Republican incumbent Frank Iler defeated Democrat Dennis A. Breen 29,965 votes (54.50%) to 25,019 votes (45.50%).

• N.C. House District 19: Covering southeastern Brunswick and southern New Hanover County, Republican incumbent Charlie Miller defeated Democrat Scott Nasiff 18,384 votes (58.99%) to 12,783 votes (41.01%) in Brunswick County.

County Board of Commissioners & School Board

Republicans secured victories in both contested county commission seats and both school board seats:

• Board of Commissioners (District 1): Republican Randy Thompson won election with 48,602 votes (56.59%) over Democrat Gary Woods (37,290 votes / 43.41%).

• Board of Commissioners (District 2): Republican Patti Hewett won with 48,798 votes (56.92%) against Democrat Sara Singer (36,933 votes / 43.08%).

• Board of Education (District 3): Republican Paige Morgan defeated Democrat Susanne Duncan 48,863 votes (56.98%) to 36,895 votes (43.02%).

• Board of Education (District 5): Republican Steve Gainey won election with 48,675 votes (56.91%) over Democrat Brian D. Rupp (36,849 votes / 43.09%).

• Sheriff: Incumbent Republican Brian M. Chism ran unopposed, securing 57,861 votes.

• Clerk of Superior Court: Republican Katie Madon ran unopposed, receiving 56,149 votes.

• Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor (Top 2 Elected): Nonpartisan candidates Mike Barbee (38,384 votes / 38.37%) and Jody E. Clemmons (38,216 votes / 38.20%) were elected to the two open supervisor seats, finishing ahead of Anthony Street (21,552 votes / 21.54%).

School Bond & Constitutional Amendments

Brunswick County voters approved the local school bond as well as all three statewide constitutional amendments:

• $349.6 Million Brunswick County School Bond: Passed with 45,076 votes (54.95%) in favor and 36,960 votes (45.05%) opposed.

• Voter Photo ID Requirement Amendment: Passed locally 62,674 (73.91%) for to 22,127 (26.09%) against.

• Income Tax Cap Amendment (3.5%): Passed locally 64,555 (76.16%) for to 20,208 (23.84%) against.

• Property Tax Limit Amendment: Passed locally 62,915 (74.23%) for to 21,841 (25.77%) against.

All vote tallies remain unofficial until certified by the Brunswick County Board of Elections during the official county canvass.

© 2026 CoastalCarolinaNews.com  | Jones Media Partners LLC

No content from this publication may be reproduced, republished, or used for commercial purposes without prior written authorization from Jones Media Partners LLC. For questions or comments call 910.898.2770 or you can reach out via our Contact Page.