LUMBERTON — The incumbent members of Robeson County’s three-man state General Assembly delegation all won re-election Tuesday.
Sen. Danny Britt Jr., a Republican, easily defeated challenger John Campbell in the race for the Senate District 13 seat, which covers all of Robeson and Columbus counties. The vote tally 30,780 to 18,240, with all precincts in Robeson and Columbus counties counted, according to the state Board of Elections.
Britt could not be reached for comment after it was clear he had won.
A Robeson County native, he is an attorney and a small-business owner. He enlisted in the Army National Guard as a private, put himself through college on the GI Bill, and has served more than 21 years as an officer. He is a former assistant district attorney and adjunct instructor at Bladen Community College.
The race was a bit nasty with Campbell accusing Britt of dirty politics for campaign ads saying Campbell had bounced checks, been found guilty of mortgage fraud and once took school system money for a conference he didn’t attend. Campbell has argued that Britt is anti-education and had worked to deny 500,000 North Carolina residents Medicaid.
Rep. Charles Graham, a Democrat, won his fifth term as the District 47 representative in the state House. Graham beat challenger Jarrod Lowery by a vote count of 11,209, or 58.64 percent, to 7,906, or 41.36 percent. District 47 covers most of Robeson County.
Graham is the senior legislator in the county’s delegation.
Lowery, a member of the Lumbee Tribal Council, conceded at about 10:30 p.m. with ballots from three of the county’s 39 precincts not reported.
“I think it’s over with,” Lowery said with a laugh.
The laughter did not leave his voice as he continued speaking.
“We ran a great race, and I’m tired,” Lowery said. “I’m going to get some rest.”
In a more serious tone, Lowery praised the effort put in by his campaign workers. He called the campaign a great experience that left him glad to see so many young and first-time voters casting ballots.
“I hope they continue to vote no matter who’s on the ballot,” Lowery said.
Graham could not be reached.
He is a retired educator who lives in Lumberton. He serves on many House committees, including Education, Justice and Public Safety, Agriculture, Transportation, Commerce and Appropriations. He recently was appointed to the Joint Select Committee on Storm-Related River Debris/Damage in North Carolina, which is to study ways to mitigate flooding in Southeastern North Carolina.
Republican Rep. Brenden Jones earned a second term as the House District 46 representative by beating Barbara Yates-Lockamy 12,542 votes to 7,194.
He is a small-business owner from Tabor City. He co-chairman of the Joint Select Committee on Storm-Related River Debris/Damage in North Carolina, of which Britt and Graham are also members.
According to her campaign website, Yates-Lockamy is a lifelong resident of Southeastern North Carolina and a career educator. Her campaign platform is one of improving education, healthcare and the economy.
