On Super Tuesday, Pat Sykes won the Republican nomination to the District 3 seat on the Brunswick County Commission. Since the largely red district doesn't usually have Democrats running, general elections tend to be a shoo-in for Republican primary winners. But this year, Sykes will have a challenger.
The Brunswick County Board of Elections granted candidacy to Bob Fulton, a registered Democrat who is running unaffiliated for the commission. Fulton, who lives in Southport, is running on a platform of slowing down development in Brunswick County.
Fulton, who decided to enter the race after the candidate registration deadline, has spent the past couple of months canvassing for signatures. In Brunswick County, unaffiliated candidates must secure approval from 4% of the county — 5,222 people — of their candidacy. It's not a promise to vote for the candidate; it's just to get them on the ballot in the first place. Still, Fulton said the people he talked to shared his passion for managing development.
"It was amazing how many people are concerned, not just with the specter of tons and tons of houses being built," he said, "but the effect that it has on our wildlife, the flora and fauna of Brunswick County."
Fulton's deadline was noon on March 5. After the board of elections audited the signatures, it notified Fulton of his candidacy. He found out on Wednesday morning.
"It was pleasant to get that notification," he said.
Click here for voter information and WHQR’s coverage of the 2024 primaries.
