Macon County will see one new county commissioner take office in 2024 following Tuesday’s primary election.
When the final results rolled in, Republican challenger Barry Breeden unseated incumbent Republican commissioner Paul Higdon. Breeden received 3,319 votes to Higdon’s 3,091 for the District 3 commissioners chair. Because there are no Democrats running for the seat in November, Breeden’s primary win gives him a clear path to a victory in the general election.
In the other county commissioner race, incumbent Republican Josh Young retained his seat by defeating challenger Chris Browning. Young received 3,935 votes to Browning’s 2,511. Young will also be unchallenged in November’s general election, thus guaranteeing him a second term in office.
On the statewide political scene, Macon County voters were nearly split in several Republican primary races. Charles Dingee got the nod for North Carolina State Auditor with 1,411 votes, narrowly defeating fellow GOP members Jack Clark (1,155 votes) and Dave Bollek (1,024 votes).
Luke Farley won the Macon County primary for NC Commissioner of Labor with 1,687 votes. Narrowly besting Chuck Stanley (1,626 votes) and Jon Hardister (1,351 votes).
The closest race of the night belonged to the candidates running for North Carolina Treasurer on the Republican ballot. Brad Briner won in Macon County by just 17 votes over Rachel Johnson, who finished less than 100 votes ahead of A.J. Daoud.
In the two major national primary races, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump cruised past Nikki Haley in Macon County. Trump earned 5.093 votes to Haley’s 1,544. On the Democrat side of the ballot, President Joe Biden received 1,325 votes to capture 89 percent of the ballots cast.
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards easily defeated challenger Christian Reagan in his Republican primary. Edwards received 4,166 votes in Macon County to Reagan’s 2,189.
Jackson County
The local races in Jackson County were for school board during the primary election cycle. In District 1, Gayle Woody defeated Rainy Brake. Woody grabbed 4,569 votes to Brake’s 2,777. The District 3 race was won by Wes Jamison, who claimed 4,150 votes to Clint Irons’ 3,109 votes.
“I’m very honored and humbled the people in Jackson County saw fit to trust me with a seat on the Board of Education. It is so important for our kids and our teachers to have advocacy on the school board,” Woody, a retired teacher. “Teachers work so hard and the resources they have are getting less and less. I’m excited to be able to work hard to make sure they can have what they need to teach our children.”
The race for district court judge on the Republican ballot was won by Andy Buckner, who edged Virginia Hornsby in Jackson County by a 2,092-1,760 tally.
Much like in Macon County, the statewide primaries in Jackson County were very closely contested on the Republican ballot. The closest race of the night in Jackson County was for NC Treasurer, where Briner defeated Johnson by 13 votes and Johnson finished just 72 votes ahead of Daoud.
The national results in Jackson County mirrored Macon County, with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump easily defeating challenger Nikki Haley by a 3,211-1,082 margin. President Joe Biden, who was unchallenged on the Democrat ballot, claimed 2,571 votes.
Rep. Edwards won his Republican primary in Jackson County with 2,637 votes to Reagan’s 1,638.
The Highlander reporter Nick Childs contributed to this report.