CURRITUCK — Longtime incumbent Commissioner Ernie Bowden lost his bid for a fifth term on Tuesday, as Currituck Democratic voters overwhelmingly threw their support to his challenger, Michael Cherry.

Cherry defeated Bowden by more than 1,000 votes, finishing with 2,282 to Bowden's 1,195, to claim the Democratic nomination for the commission board's new District 1 seat. Cherry captured 65 percent of the votes cast, winning all 11 of Currituck's precincts. Bowden finished with 35 percent of the vote.

"I'm very excited about the result," said Cherry, adding that he satisfied with the effort he put into his campaign. "I'm very pleased. I worked really hard."

Cherry said he believed it was his educational background and passion and love for the county that propelled him to victory.

"It really shows how much Currituck County supports education and the better candidate," he said. "I'm very proud of Currituck County today, and I'd like to say thank you for all your votes."

Bowden did not return a call for comment Tuesday night.

In other Currituck primary contests decided Tuesday, Democrats Jerry Wright and Stanley Griggs also won, as did Republican Vance Aydlett Jr.

Aydlett will face Cherry this fall after winning the Republican primary for the District 1 seat. Aydlett bested radio ad consultant Keith Hill by more than 350 votes, finishing with 877 to Hill's 467. Aydlett captured 65 percent of the vote to Hill's 35 percent. Aydlett carried ten of Currituck's 11 precincts.

Aydlett attributed his message of wanting to get residents more involved in local politics as a reason for why he garnered a winning number of votes.

"I believe the message of that played a big role in it," he said.

Wright, a former commissioner, won the Democratic primary for the new District 2 seat in Currituck, narrowly defeating Roy Lee Etheridge, a first-time candidate. Wright could not be reached for comment.

Wright finished with 1,794 votes to Etheridge's 1,685. He captured 52 percent of the vote to Etheridge's 48 percent. Despite the closeness of the outcome, Wright carried eight of Currituck's 11 precincts. This fall he'll take on Republican John Rorer, who did not have a primary opponent on Tuesday.

Contacted Tuesday night, Etheridge did not comment on the election. However, he did say he "thought it was sorry" that in Tuesday's edition The Daily Advance published an article about an unauthorized electronic roadside advertising his campaign.

Currituck County Manager Dan Scanlon said previously that he told Etheridge that the flashing sign had to come down. Scanlon said he advised Etheridge about the illegal sign last Thursday, but as of Monday, the sign was still up along N.C. Highway 168 near Moyock. Etheridge said because of the article his family has canceled their newspaper subscriptions.

In Currituck's fourth contested primary, Griggs, also another former commissioner, defeated William C. Etheridge Sr. for the commission board's new second at-large seat. Griggs finished with 1,860 votes to Etheridge's 1,556 votes, capturing 54 percent of the total vote. Etheridge finished with 46 percent.

"I certainly commend William Etheridge for a good race," said Griggs, who currently serves as Currituck's emergency management coordinator.

Griggs said he believed it was his combination of character, integrity and problem solving skills, plus a call for more conservative leadership, that made him appealing to voters. Griggs will face Republican Paul O'Neal in this fall's general election. O'Neal, who also is a former commissioner, ran unopposed in the GOP primary for the at-large seat Tuesday.

William Etheridge, who had never run for public office before, was upbeat about the outcome despite his loss.

"I feel like I did pretty good my first time around," he said. "If I did it again I'd do better."

Etheridge said while he may not have won he still believed he ran a successful campaign.

"I stood up for what I believed," said Etheridge, adding that he may run again in the future.

Cherry's victory over Bowden had a nostalgic tone, as Cherry's father, Marshall Cherry, was the last Democrat to defeat Bowden, winning their primary election in 1988. Bowden won the seat back in 1992 and had been re-elected three times since: in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

Several voters polled at Currituck precincts Tuesday said a traffic accident involving Bowden last fall had factored into their votes against the incumbent. Bowden, 83, pleaded guilty in January to three misdemeanors, including an unsafe movement violation, not wearing a seat belt and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle.

A 72-year-old woman voting in Moyock said Bowden's explanation about the accident was a "farce." She also said Bowden's age was a factor in her vote for his opponent.

"I think it's time for Bowden to retire," she said.

An African-American voter also casting her ballot at Moyock also said Bowden's accident was a factor in her decision to vote for Cherry. A male voter at J.P. Knapp School also said Bowden's explanation about the accident had motivated his vote. Several voters said they supported Cherry because they thought it "was time for a change" of leadership on the commission board.

A Republican voter said she voted for Aydlett because he seemed to have more experience than Hill. The voter, who comes from a Navy family, said she was turned off by a comment she says Hill made at a meeting on the Navy's proposed outlying landing field. Hill reportedly said the Navy could sink a carrier off the coast and use it as an OLF for jet pilot training.

"Being from a military family, I know that's not feasible," she said.

Another voter said he supported Aydlett because he didn't like some of Hill's public remarks.

"I think Hill is a troublemaker," the voter said. "He makes sweeping statements without facts to back them up."

Wright and Griggs seemed to pick up votes because of their previous experience in the public eye.

One female voter at Moyock precinct said she voted for Griggs because "he's been around very long." She said she voted for Wright for much the same reasons.

"I just like him," the voter said of Wright. "He came across as not trying to bamboozle anyone. I like his straightforwardness."

Another voter said she supported Griggs because of his competence. She said when the major brush fire broke out in neighboring Camden County, Griggs, who is Currituck's emergency management director, proved his muster. "He handled it well," she said.

Another voter said he voted for Wright because he found him "articulate and astute."

"I liked what I read about him," he said.

A female voter said she supported Wright because she was concerned that his opponent, Etheridge, was too pro-development.

"I'm not for a lot of development at this point," she said. "We can't handle it, with our roads. We can't handle more cars."