Meiggs, McLain win
in Camden; Faison re-elected

Overton upsets incumbent Sawyer

The Daily Advance

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

CAMDEN — Camden voters unseated two incumbents on Tuesday.

Democrat Garry Meiggs defeated incumbent Republican Mike Andrews for the South Mills seat on the Board of Commissioners by a margin of 2,653 votes to 2,031, according to unofficial results. He finished with 57 percent of the vote to Andrews’ 43 percent.

Also, incumbent Board of Education member Brenda Sawyer lost her bid for re-election, as voters elected incumbent Terri Faison and challenger Christian Overton to the board’s two seats.

In another contested race for county commissioner, Republican Michael McLain narrowly won the Courthouse Township over Democratic challenger Joey Coppersmith, 2,316 votes to 2,265. He finished with 50.5 percent of the vote to Coppersmith’s 49 percent.

In the school board race, Faison finished with the most votes, 2,437, while Overton finished second with 1,963 votes. Sawyer finished third with 1,819. Faison garnered 39 percent of the vote while Overton had 32 percent and Sawyer finished with 29 percent.

In the other commissioners race, unopposed Republican incumbent Sandy Duckwall won re-election to her at-large seat with 3,159 votes.

Voter turnout was 67.3 percent, according to Elections Director Elaine Best.

Meiggs, 54, is vice president of Albemarle Electric Membership Cooperative and past Camden Farm Bureau president. A self-employed logging contractor, he has staunchly opposed the Navy’s proposed outlying landing field at Hale’s Lake in Camden County, and has said he would seek grant funds to build new infrastructure to attract economic development and ease the tax burden on property owners.

Andrews, 51, was first elected to the board in 2004. He has also been an opponent of the OLF and a supporter of economic growth.

For McLain, 54, the second time was the charm. He ran unsuccessfully in 2006 for the at-large seat. A college instructor, he vowed to help Camden County manage its finances and reduce spending. He also opposes the Navy’s proposed OLF while also vowing to keep property taxes low and expand the tax base.

It was Coppersmith’s first run for public office. At 41, he supported expanding the county’s infrastructure to promote economic development.

One voter, a 41-year-old woman, said she voted for McLain “just kind of based on his background with finances.”

The surgical technician said the county had run into financial troubles that might benefit from McLain’s knowledge.

“I think that they’ve kind of struggled with having expertise in that area,” she said.

Georgia Lamb, owner of Lamb’s Marina, voted for Meiggs and Coppersmith.

“He’s very level headed,” Lamb said of Meiggs. “I don’t know Mr. Andrews very well.”

Meanwhile, Faison, 47, has served as the school board’s vice chairwoman. Employed as a Realtor with Caldwell Banker Professional Realtors, she supports a new athletic complex, expanding the school athletics and fine arts programs and vows to fight for a reduction of the dropout rate.

Overton, 35, of Shiloh, won his seat in spite of having no previous political experience. Employed as a technical marketing representative for Progeny Ag, he vowed to fight for quality education, unite students, staff and faculty, and hire staffers with the intention of preparing students for a global marketplace.

Sawyer, was elected to the board in 2004. A retired employee of the G.R. Little Library at Elizabeth City State University, she is a substitute teacher with the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools.

At the polls, a 27-year-old stay-at-home mother said she voted for Overton, McLain and Andrews because “they’re really good, and they’re what the county needs.”