Carolina Beach made history in yesterday’s election. It elected its first woman to serve as Mayor. Current town council member LeAnn Pierce is the new mayor-elect after receiving more than 1,000 votes.
The final tally has Pierce with almost 54 percent of the vote, to Tom Elicson’s 40 percent.
The Mayor-elect campaigned on the importance of experience in leading the beach community, on WHQR’s CoastLine before election day.
“Well, Carolina Beach is a very dynamic community that changes daily almost. And I knew that that position when Mayor Benson decided he was not going to run again, I knew I needed to take some serious thought about that because that position really needs someone who's experienced. Someone who knows what we're working on, knows the connections that we have with our different partners in the state and in the County and someone who can just continue that path, forward motion without having to learn and to pick up and do a lot of back work before that.”
The Town Council will now appoint someone to serve the remaining two years of Pierce’s current term.
Vince Winkel, WHQR News