Ward 4 outcome confirmed

Pat Kimbrough, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·2 min read

Nov. 18—HIGH POINT — Friday's election canvass secured challenger Patrick Harman's victory in the close race for the Ward 4 seat on the High Point City Council.

After absentee and provisional ballots were resolved, the official results reduced his lead over incumbent Councilman Wesley Hudson by only one vote — from 19 to 18.

With the margin still within 1%, Hudson technically has until 5 p.m. Monday to request a recount, but he said he will not do so.

"I have no problem with the result. A recount is not going to change the outcome," Hudson said Friday. "Patrick ran a very good race. Obviously, I would have liked the result to be different."

The canvass adjusted the vote totals slightly from Election Day, with Harman picking up four votes to finish with 1,117, and Hudson gaining five votes to finish with 1,099.

That made the final margin 50.02% to 49.22%.

Guilford County Elections Director Charlie Collicutt said the outcome won't officially be certified until next week, after the recount deadline is passed.

The Ward 4 race was the only High Point contest in the Nov. 7 election with a final margin within 1%, so the other eight city races were certified by the Board of Elections Friday after the canvass.

Harman will join a council led by a new mayor — current Councilman Cyril Jefferson, who defeated fellow Councilman Victor Jones by an official margin of 55.7% to 44.1%.

The at-large representatives on council will be incumbent Britt Moore and newcomer Amanda Cook.

Incumbent council members Tyrone Johnson (currently serving at-large, but shifting to Ward 2), Monica Peters (Ward 3) and Michael Holmes (Ward 6) all handily won reelection.

In addition, a pair of newcomers won easily in Ward 1 (Vickie McKiver) and Ward 5 (Tim Andrew).

The new council will take office Dec. 4 for a four-year term.