Tate replaces Ken Smith, who resigned from the board due to a pending move to a different congregation. The Pender County GOP nominated Tate to represent District 4 through 2028, which would have been the end of Smith's term.
North Carolina State Senator Brent Jackson sent a letter to the county GOP endorsing Tate, calling him a "dedicated" public servant.
"He is not afraid of a challenge and understands the needs of educators, our schools, colleges and our farmers, which are one of North Carolina's top revenue sources," Jackson wrote.
Tate has served many terms as county commissioner over the past two decades. He first joined the board in 2008, remaining on the board until 2015. That year, he resigned in order to relocate to Duplin County for a new role as vice president of college advancement and human resources at James Sprunt Community College.
In 2022, Tate was elected to the board again, but quit thirty days into his term after alleging discrimination from the board. Tate said in January 2023 that a fellow commissioner had made disparaging comments about his race.
"This is a painful decision,” Tate told WECT. “They’re making it unmanageable for me, in my opinion, to effectively do my job as a commissioner, because their hate towards me is so great. I’d rather move out of the way and get someone who they can better identify with if they’re not ready to see me and my differences."
Tate also faced harassment throughout his election and into his most recent term as county commissioners, filing a police report against former commissioner candidate Joe Cina's campaign manager Ethan Baca. Some constituents also questioned whether Tate actually lived in Pender County. He told Port City Daily that there was "indisputable evidence" of his residency in Surf City, including his utility bills and his voter registration.
Tate didn't address any of these past controversies on Monday night, but he did thank his friends, family, and colleagues for their support.
"In today's society, we don't see people that come from east to west in our county – Democrats, Republicans, independents and all — gather, and it really makes me very humble to see all of y'all here," he said.
North Carolina Representative Carson Smith conducted the swearing-in ceremony. Later that night, the board selected Brent Springer to serve as vice chair.
Update: a previous version of this article stated Jimmy Tate filed multiple police reports against Joe Cina and members of his campaign. According to the Surf City Police Department, only one police report was filed by Tate.
