Wednesday morning, candidates on both the winning and losing sides reacted to the voters’ decision.
Rockingham Mayor Gene McLaurin responded to his landslide victory against his first opponent in a decade by saying he was humbled.
“It was a very good day, and I’m pleased with the results and humbled by the support I received,” McLaurin said Wednesday morning. “I haven’t faced an opponent in 10 years, but I don’t think I’ve ever had so many people contact me and ask what they could do to help, not only in the city but in the county as well. There were a lot of people who volunteered their time and energy and support, and that means a lot to me.”
He said facing opposition in the 2009 campaign gave him an opportunity to reconnect with the voters, “which is always a good thing.”
McLaurin also reacted to the change of the makeup of Rockingham City Council.
“Shirley Fuller was an outstanding council member, and she served the city with honor,” McLaurin said. “We will certainly miss her, but we look forward to working with Travis Billingsley.”
He said he called Billingsley to congratulate him at the first opportunity.
“I think the voters saw a young person with a lot of enthusiasm, and he worked very hard going door-to-door and talking with people,” he said. “The voters have spoken and I trust their judgment. We will now have a new person to work with on Rockingham City Council.”
Attempts to reach Bruce Stanback by phone were unsuccessful Wednesday. He sought to unseat McLaurin.
Hamlet Mayor Jeff Smart held off his own challenger, in the form of Hamlet City Councilman Jesse McQueen to retain his position in a competitive election.
Wednesday morning, Smart thanked his supporters.
“I appreciate all the support of the Hamlet citizens,” he said. “I’m pleased with the results, and we will work hard to continue to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Hamlet.”
McQueen said he wished to thank his supporters, and said he hasn’t ruled out running for public office in Hamlet again.
“I want to thank my family, those who helped me on my campaign and just thank God for allowing me to handle everything I’ve been through over the last few years,” he said.
He said he wished his opponent “the best over the next two years.”
In the Rockingham City Council race, incumbent Councilmen Steve Morris and John Hutchinson were joined by newcomer Travis Billingsley in being elected.
The 27-year-old Billingsley reacted to what must be considered an upset victory by thanking his family and supporters, especially Torina Ingram, Shallette Nicholson, Rosa Gales and Debra Fletcher.
“Folks came out in droves, this was a pretty good turnout for an off-year election, and that tells me folks were really wanting to see a change on Rockingham City Council,” Billingsley said. “And that was really evident in the vote, even for Teressa Beavers and Jerry Austin. They had a lot of support in this election.”
For Councilman John Hutchinson, Tuesday’s election results were “gratifying” and “humbling.”
“Obviously, I’m very excited to have a chance to serve the city again, and I really appreciate the great voter turnout,” he said. “It is very gratifying to be back on Rockingham City Council ... It’s also a little bit of a humbling experience for the voters to ask you to continue to serve the city.”
His re-election did hold mixed feelings, however.
“Shirley (Fuller) is a really good woman, and she really brought something to the table,” Hutchinson said. “At the same time, you always look forward to working with someone new, and I will have that opportunity in working with Travis Billingsley. So, I will definitely miss her, but I’m interested in learning what Travis’s ideas are.”
Councilman Steve Morris said he was “flattered” to garner the most votes in the competitive race for city council, and wished to thank “every single one” of his supporters.
Morris had 910 votes followed by Billingsley with 899, Hutchinson with 869, Fuller with 493, Beavers with 732 and Austin with 464.
“I’d like to thank everyone for coming out to vote, we had a really good turnout,” Morris said.
He also reacted to the election of Billingsley to the council.
“I certainly enjoyed working with (Fuller),” he said. “She’s a very intelligent, very capable lady, and I will miss her, but I also look forward to working with Travis as well.”
Incumbent Councilwoman Shirley Fuller said she wished to thank the mayor, city council members, city staff and citizens of Rockingham, along with her “dedicated campaign workers,” for supporting her throughout her time on Rockingham City Council.
“I’d also like to thank all of the citizens who supported me for the past six years I was on the council,” Fuller said. “I enjoyed every minute of being on the city council, and I know that with the wonderful leadership the voters just put in place, the City of Rockingham will continue to be successful and will remain ‘A City Looking Forward.’”
Council challenger Teressa Beavers was at the Richmond County Board of Elections Tuesday night, and reacted to being unable to gain a seat on Rockingham City Council.
“You win some, you lose some,” she said, noting she would consider running for municipal office again in the future.
Beavers drew 732 votes of the unofficial votes, making her the fifth highest vote-getter in the council race.
“I ran a hard campaign, and I’m thankful to everyone who worked to help me,” she said. “They worked really hard.”
Council challenger Jerry Austin Jr. was also left on the outside looking in after the votes were tabulated Tuesday night, but Wednesday morning said he appreciated the support he received.
“I would like to thank any and all my supporters for their confidence in voting for me,” Austin said.
He also said he hasn’t ruled out making another run at public office in Rockingham.
In the Hamlet City Council race, incumbent Councilwoman Abbie Covington will now be joined by Dr. Diane Honeycutt on the city’s panel.
Incumbent Hamlet City Councilwoman Abbie Covington said she’d worked the polls since 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, and was still feeling the after-effects Wednesday morning as she reacted to her re-election.
“It was a long, arduous, worthwhile day,” she said.
She said she wished to thank “everyone.”
“We had a lot of supporters and a lot of volunteers, and they worked hard, not only yesterday, but in the weeks that preceded the election,” Covington said. “I appreciate their efforts, and I promise to make as large a commitment to the next four years as they have the last four weeks.”
Dr. Diane Honeycutt will join the council after Tuesday’s vote, when she collected the most ballots in the race.
“I certainly appreciate everybody that went out to vote, because we should all do that no matter what candidate they choose,” she said. “I was quite surprised at how well I did, and I look forward to working with the people of Hamlet.”
She explained she views “the people” as “the most important thing.”
“The people are what it’s all about, and I look forward to working with them, and everyone working together for the betterment of Hamlet,” Honeycutt said.
Finally, Johnathan Buie was the council candidate who was not tapped for the municipal body, but perhaps not for long because he’s already planning a run in two years.
“First and foremost, I’d like to thank my family for being there the way they have been, and my friends and supporters,” Buie said. “I am, of course, going to run again in two years, and the voters of Hamlet definitely haven’t seen the last of me.”
He said the amount of votes he received encouraged him to continue pursuing public office in Hamlet.
“The biggest thing is I’m very happy with the turnout I had,” he said. “I had more support than I anticipated and I really appreciate that.”
n Staff Writer Philip D. Brown can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 32, or by e-mail at pbrown@yourdailyjournal.com.
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