Meet the candidates vying for a spot on the Pender County ballot in November

With the primary election quickly approaching, Pender County residents will be able to cast their vote for local offices on Feb. 15, at their designated polling place.

To help Pender County voters arrive at the polls prepared, here is a list of candidates with information about their background and goals for the future of the county.

Pender County Board of Commissioners District 04: Atkinson, Currie, Penderlea, Watha, Willard

Jackie Newton, Republican, is set to run again to represent District four for another term. Newton originally ran for county commissioner in 2016 due to the lack of reliable internet access in rural communities. Newton wanted better internet access to improve Pender County’s education, remote medicine and economic development. Newton had no prior government experience before joining the Pender County Board of Commissioners but was — and still is — an attorney in private practice. Newton said she is running for re-election to continue the work the commissioners have begun to ensure residents have access to clean water, provide funding for changes that will help in future flooding events, promote opportunities for economic development and ensure the education system capital projects stay on track and are appropriately funded. Jackie Newton will be running against Ken Smith and Max Southworth-Beckwith.

Ken Smith, Republican, and currently a member of the Pender County Board of Education, is running for District 4 county commissioner against Jackie Newton and Max Southworth-Beckwith. The StarNews reached out to Smith, but did not receive a response by press time.

Max Southworth-Beckwith, Republican, and former Marine combat veteran is running to serve the residents of District 4. Beckwith has 20 years of construction experience and experience in federal contracting, which he thinks will be a strong asset to the board of commissioners. He has a degree in political science with a concentration in Constitutional law and a minor in history. He ran for U.S. Congress in North Carolina’s 7th Congressional District in 2022 against David Rouzer because Rouzer has been undefeated since 2014, and he wanted to “give the people an option.” If he is elected, Beckwith plans to focus on infrastructure that will meet the needs of future growth before adding in more developments. He wants to see more veteran outreach in Pender County as it has a large veteran population. He also wants to improve the law enforcement presence in western Pender County, increase funding for Pender County Schools, and avoid wasteful spending by enforcing a hard audit once every five years for Pender County. Beckwith will be running against Ken Smith and Jackie Newton.

Pender County Board of Commissioners District 05: Burgaw, St. Helena, Maple Hill

Fred McCoy, Republican, will be seeking re-election as the district five Pender County Commissioner. McCoy has served three four-year terms--serving as vice chairman--and will be running again for his fourth against Brent Springer. He retired from the N.C. Department of Transportation's engineering department where he spent time working on plans for I-40 and the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge. McCoy said he wants to make sure that the county's infrastructure meets the demands of the growth. He also wants to focus on making sure Pender County Schools manage the growth of incoming families. McCoy said he will continue to support law enforcement and industrial growth as it helps the county's tax rate.

Brent Springer, Republican, and currently on the school board, plans to run to serve District five of Pender County. Springer said he is proud to say that politics is new to him, and before he was elected to the school board in 2022, he was just a concerned citizen. “I believe that government is at its best when run by citizen leaders, not career politicians,” Springer said. Prior to working in quality control, Springer served in the military, but he said being a dad is his favorite job. He said he is running for the position of District 5 county commissioner to protect the future of his kids. “I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish while serving on the school board, but a school board member is limited to education policy,” Springer said. If elected, Springer said his top priority is keeping taxpayers' interest at the forefront of all budget decisions. He also wants to eliminate crime and drugs from the streets and protect neighborhoods from overcrowding. “No matter the issue on the table, voters can always count on me being guided by faith, common sense, and conservative principles,” Springer said.

Pender County Board of Commissioners District 01: North Hampstead, Topsail Beach, Surf City

Brad George, Republican, is running for his first elected term after being appointed to the board of commissioners in 2022. He previously served 10 years on the Pender County Board of Education, starting in 2012. George has worked for Global Nuclear Fuels for 33 years as a maintenance coordinator separate from his civic work. If elected, he plans to work on zoning to help fit the demands of eastern Pender County’s rapid growth and improve the growth in western Pender County. “One size doesn’t fit all,” George said when talking about his plans to address zoning in Pender County. George will be running against Joe Cina.

Joe Cina, Republican, is running for his first term as county commissioner for District 1. He has previously worked in law enforcement for just under two decades and recently started working as a substitute teacher in Pender County Schools. He has also been an active member of the Pender County Coastal Rotary Club and served on the Pender County Juvenile Crime Prevention Board, the Tourism Board and the ABC Board. Cina currently owns and operates a small business in Pender County that supplies dump trailers throughout the community and transports goods for community members and businesses during daylight hours. In the evening, Cina manages a community attraction on the island where he said he provides a safe environment for locals and tourists to unwind. He is raising three children in Pender County and moving from District 3 to District 1, Cina said he has seen and heard many community concerns that have failed to be addressed and he hopes to address them. He hopes to regain trust between the community and local elected officials, make taxes coming in and out of Pender County viewable to the public, and address growth in the school system. Cina will be running against Brad George.

Pender County Board of Education District 05

Tommy Reeves, Republican, is a 25-year resident of Pender County and co-owner of Hampstead Ace Hardware. He said in a Facebook post that he has had the opportunity to interact with administrators, teachers, and students of Pender County through various school projects and within his business and church. "My belief is that the role of the School Board is to work in a unified manner with the County Commissioners to create an environment where we can empower our students to achieve their dreams while supporting our teachers and administrators in a positive, respectful, and professional manner," Reeves said in his Facebook post. He said he plans to protect the tax dollars of Pender County, apply common sense solutions to address the decisions that impact the current and future needs of the education system, act with accountability and integrity, and elevate the rankings of Pender County Schools. The StarNews reached to Reeves but did not receive a response by press time.

Phil Cordeiro, Republican, is running for election for the first time after joining the school board in March. Cordeiro filled the vacant spot left by Brad George and is running against Tommy Reeves to keep his position serving District five. Cordeiro is a certified public accountant outside of his work with the school board. He is also a retired U.S. Marine and combat veteran and has served as a budget analyst for the city of Wilmington and town manager for the town of Youngsville. Cordeiro said the most important thing moving forward for the Pender County school board is planning for communication and transparency with parents and staff. "If we design the education process around parental engagement — and put systems in place from the beginning planning stages — we can meaningfully engage parents without requiring significant extra costs or effort," Cordeiro said.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Pender County primary election candidates for 2024