Incumbent Beatrice Smith defeats Dorothea White in Craven County District 3 primary race

Beatrice Smith

Incumbent Beatrice Smith held off a challenge from Dorothea White in Tuesday night’s unofficial primary election results for the District 3 Craven County Commissioners seat.

Smith, a Democrat, will run for the seat in the November general election. Currently, there are no Republican candidates running in the race for District 3 commissioner.

In a decisive win, Smith walked away with 63.04% (764) of the vote, while White garnered 36.96% (448).

Both candidates brought in more absentee one-stop ballots than election day votes, with 433 for Smith and 241 for White.

Reached for comment Tuesday night, Smith said she was grateful to the voters in her district for their support.

“I will do my best to continue to serve them as best I can,” Smith said. “I’m just honored that they have faith in me because I honestly care about what I’m doing and I will continue to give them my all.”

Elections: Craven County District 3 commissioner race could see history made in November

Primary 2022 Results: See live vote totals as they’re reported Election Night

In 2020 Smith, the first Black woman to serve as a Craven County Commissioner, was chosen to fill the District 3 seat vacated by the late Johnnie Sampson, who died of complications from COVID-19 in November of that year.

Smith formerly served District 4 as a member of the Craven Board of Education.

This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Incumbent Beatrice Smith defeats White in Craven Dist. 3 primary race