Morey wins Southern Shores mayor’s race 

By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice on November 2, 2021

Two incumbents appear to lose in Dare local elections

(iStock)

Elizabeth Morey handily defeated Rod McCaughey in the only contested mayoral race in Dare County as the votes were counted in Southern Shores on Nov. 2. At the same time, a few incumbents were defeated in the contests held across the county’s six municipalities.

About 21% of the county’s nearly 17,000 eligible voters turned out to cast ballots in the 2021 local fall elections.

Morey, who currently sits on the Southern Shores Town Council, defeated McCaughey by a margin of 724-376 votes, according to the unofficial results. In the race for an open council seat in the town, Paula Sherlock won with 538 votes compared to John Carter at 284 and Anne Sjoerdsma with 282.

In Nags Head, one incumbent Commissioner, Webb Fuller (288 votes), was defeated as challenger Bob Sanders (518) and incumbent Michael Siers (365) captured the two available seats on the board. Incumbent Nags Head Mayor Ben Cahoon ran for re-election unopposed.

In Manteo, an incumbent may have also been ousted from the board of commissioners. These results show Christine Walker running fourth in the battle for three seats with 167 votes, although that leaves her only four votes behind current third place finisher and challenger Ruth Jane Stetson (171). The two candidates clearly victorious are challenger Sherry Butcher Wickstrom (184) and top finisher, incumbent Commissioner Eddie Mann (204). Incumbent Mayor Bobby Owens also faced no opposition.

Kitty Hawk voters returned incumbent Town Council Member Jeff Pruitt to office as he garnered 421 votes. Charlotte Walker (285 votes) was elected to the other available seat, finishing ahead of Charles Jones (205 votes) and Nick Antonis (44 votes). Current Mayor Pro Tem Craig Garriss was unopposed in his bid to succeed retiring Mayor Gary Perry.

The ballot with the most names on it was in Duck, where eight candidates competed for five seats on the council. The top five finishers are, in this order, challenger Tony Schiano (211 votes) and incumbents Monica Thibodeau (210), Don Kingston (178), Rob Mooney (168) and Sandy Whitman (160). The three candidates who appear to have been defeated are Joseph Blakaitis (142), Ben Vorndran (125) and James Bartlett (114).

Finally, in the one town with no contested races, incumbent Kill Devil Hills Mayor Ben Sproul and KDH Commissioners John Windley and Terry Gray will be holding those jobs for another term.