NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – The balance of power on the New Hanover County Board of Education has gone to the Democrats following the release of unofficial 2026 November Midterm Election results.
Jerry Jones Jr., Brittnei LaRue, Margie Gewirtzman and Wendy Dale are the unofficial winners of the four seats on the ballot in this election cycle. All four were previously held by Republicans.
Unofficial results show Jones Jr. received 54,132 votes, LaRue received 54,083 votes, Gewirtzman received 52,273 votes and Dale received 45,823 votes.
On Tuesday night, three of the presumptive winners said the numbers indicate voters are ready for a shift on the board.
“It is a win for all of New Hanover County. We are going to uplift so many people,” Gewirtzman said.
“It’s a vindication that everything we’ve been saying and doing for the past year, almost, is the right stuff, and it’s what voters want to hear,” Jones said.
“Surreal. Excited. Relieved. I put over a years’ time into this, sacrificed so much of my life to be able to run. So I’m thankful it paid off,” LaRue said.
Dale didn’t respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
Republicans Pat Bradford and Josie Barnhart, the two incumbents running for reelection, finished 7th and 8th, respectively, according to unofficial results. GOP challengers Amy Dunning and Chris Sutton fall about 3,000 votes short of 4th place, the unofficial results show.
In a statement Tuesday night, Bradford said she was proud of her work on the board, pointing to the school bond, recent budgets and improved graduation rates.
“The school district’s relationship within the greater community is the strongest it’s been in anyone’s memory,” Bradford wrote. “We are leaving the district on solid ground.”
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