Election results: New Hanover school board member ousted from job by only 2 votes
A New Hanover County school board member may be out of the job come November.
With all absentee and provisional ballots counted, incumbent Nelson Beaulieu fell behind newcomer Jennah Bosch for the final Democratic nomination for the school board race this fall. But it’s still unclear if that result will hold.
Beaulieu is only behind Bosch by two votes, with not even .01% of the vote separating them. Beaulieu held a three-vote lead at the end of election night with all precincts reporting, but Bosch overcame that during the official canvass when absentee ballots were counted, thenannounced on Friday.
With the canvass complete, the results are official and as of now, Bosch will join Judy Justice, Dorian Cromartie and Veronica McLaurin-Brown as the Democratic candidates in the general election for school board this November.
Beaulieu said he has not decided if he will demand a recount. He said he will have a decision by the end of the weekend or early next week after discussing it further with his family.
“I’m weighing my options,” Beaulieu said. “I also think it’s important to offer congratulations to Jennah regardless of the outcome, and I think the whole process shows that every single vote counts.”
Candidates are allowed to demand recounts if there is less than a 1% split between themselves and the lowest prevailing candidate. With such a slim margin between the two candidates, a recount could change the results.
Beaulieu alleged in a Facebook post he believes other candidates were involved in misinforming voters after several people reported sample ballots that were passed out at voting locations to make voters believe he had pulled out of the race.
He said he plans to file a complaint with the state board of elections and a grievance with the North Carolina Democratic Party for campaign ethics violations.
Primary coverage: Election results: Full coverage of primary elections in New Hanover, Brunswick and Pender
Related: Julia Olson-Boseman is out. What does that mean for New Hanover's Board of Commissioners?
He also alleged there were some campaign finance law violations that need to be addressed by the state.
Those allegations do not involve Bosch.
Bosch said she is optimistic and hopeful that she will be able to move forward to the general election. She said the primary election goes to show the importance of every vote cast.
"I am so very thankful for all of my supporters and those that had confidence in me and voted for me," she said in a message to the StarNews. "I am privileged to be the voice that brings the mental health of our students, teachers and staff more to the forefront and to start those hard conversations within schools and communities."
No other candidates for school board have such a close race. McLaurin-Brown ultimately earned just over 26% of the vote in the Democratic primary, followed by Cromartie with 21% and Justice with just under 20%.
Those candidates will be joined by Republican nominees Pat Bradford, Melissa Mason, Josie Barnhart and Pete Wildeboer. They prevailed in the Republican primaries over Chris Sutton, who earned just under 16% of the vote compared to the next lowest candidate, Wildeboer, with 20%.
Reporter Sydney Hoover can be reached at 910-343-2339 or shoover@gannett
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Elections: New Hanover school board member ousted from job by 2 votes
