VAIDEN — Carroll County will start out the new year with three new supervisors after two longtime incumbents were defeated and one retired.
In the closest race Tuesday, Beat 3’s Marvin Coward was ousted by Edward Dill Tucker. The political newcomer received 414 votes, or 52 percent, compared to Coward’s 381 votes, or 48 percent.
Tucker, a Democrat, said he and his family knew a lot of people in Beat 3, from where they have run a plumbing business for 41 years. “It’s been a long, hard road. I knew it would be tough when I started. I ran because I want to make a difference,” Tucker said.
In Beat 1, Jim Neill will replace Terry Herbert, who decided not to run again. Neill, a Democrat, easily defeated Bill Gardner, an independent, 71 percent to 29 percent.
Neill said he was “real proud I won the race. I think my opponent ran a real good race. We both worked hard. I want to thank my supporters for their hard work.”
In Beat 2, Terry G. Brown, who beat out longtime supervisor and board president Honey Ashmore in the August Democratic primary, had no problems in Tuesday’s general election. He outpolled Republican Marty Wiggins 71 percent to 29 percent.
Brown said he is “looking forward to working with the other supervisors to get new things done in Carroll County
I am thankful to all voters who had faith in me. I’m ready to serve as their supervisor.”
The other two incumbent supervisors, Beat 4’s Claude Fluker and Beat 5’s Rickie Corley did not have opposition in the general election.
