Incumbents Vernon Bryant and Rives Manning along with May 6 challenger Patrick Qualls defeated two Republicans and two write-in candidates.
In an election that saw 17.589 of the county's 38,117 voters participate, Bryant was the top vote-getter. Bryant, according to unofficial results, collected 10,444 votes. Manning came in second with 9,196 and Qualls 8,937.
There were 8,445 write-in votes cast as James Mills and Michael Hawkins announced their intention to run through that method without their names being on the ballot.
Republican Sammy Webb got 2,540 votes. John Whichard, also a Republican, got 1,723 votes.
“I am very relieved,” Qualls said late Tuesday evening. “I am ready to take a serious approach that includes identifying the problems we have in the county, that includes jobs, education and working together to improve the county for all citizens. I think we have a lot of potential here. We have to get to work.”
Qualls believed the environment was right for a new person to step into the slot that was left vacant with the defeat of current board Chairman James Pierce in May. “I think I was on the right side of the issues including jobs and education and, within education, my stance on school merger. I think people know I'm in business and provide jobs.”
He said the write-in campaign of Mills and Hawkins did not bother him. “When the early voting came in I made the assumption they were going to split the write-ins. Of course, when the numbers came in it got better.”
Bryant was excited for his re-election to office. “First of all I give thanks to God, he brought me to this and my wife and family, Commissioner Manning and Commissioner-elect Qualls.”
He said the key now will be to focus on bringing good-paying jobs to the county, improving all three school systems in the county by focusing on student achievement, test scores and dropout rates. “I want to look at the Evergreen report that makes recommendations to the schools on cost-savings.”
Bryant was not troubled by the two write-in candidates. “I was confident myself, Mr. Manning and Patrick, all three of us, were running for all the right reasons to improve the quality of life. I think the three of us had our fingers on the pulse of the majority of the citizens in Halifax County to improve the quality of life for everybody. I think our stance on school merger, I feel like the three of us had the citizens at heart in trying to keep taxes as low as possible. The three of us had more votes than the two write-ins put together. That's pretty impressive.”
Manning said he felt good and humbled by the victory. “I'm very appreciative of the support I got.”
Manning believed the quality of three candidates — himself, Bryant and Qualls — played a factor in continuing the momentum they made in the May primary. “We have experience in business and experience in government. We've all had experience in managing a budget, experience running a business budget. Vernon had experience running a budget for a state department. I think people realized we are fiscally conservative, opposed to high tax increases. I feel that was a big factor the citizens, the voters and taxpayers looked at.”
Manning was concerned and disturbed about the write-in campaign. “I don't approve of using church busses to bus in people to polling places. I feel like it's crossing a line between church and state. I think it's a question the IRS might take a look at, these church busses being used for political purposes. I think it begs to be brought to the attention of the IRS. I think that will probably happen.”
Manning said he saw himself, Bryant and Qualls as almost like triplets. “We are fiscally conservative, honest and have integrity and I think that the voters realized what they had in the choices they had.”
The next step, he said, is, “to get sworn in, take a look at things and take it one day at a time as it comes forward.”
