LUMBERTON — There is conflicting information concerning who will be eligible to vote Thursday on the person to fill the Robeson County Board of Commissioners District 2 seat left vacant by the death of Berlester Campbell.
Ed Henderson, county Democratic Party chairman and Red Springs mayor, announced Tuesday the selection meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the Fairmont Arts and Cultural Center, located at 205 W. Thompson St. in Fairmont.
Henderson went on to say in his written statement, “Everyone is welcome to attend but by law only the Democratic precinct officials from organized precincts in District 2 and the Democratic elected town council members residing in District 2 will be allowed to vote on the new commissioner.”
Information from the party indicates there are six organized precincts: Back Swamp, Fairmont, Gaddy’s, Maxton, Orrum and Rowland.
Late Tuesday afternoon, The Robesonian received information indicating there are only three organized precincts: Fairmont, Rowland and Maxton. The Robesonian is trying to verify which organized precinct count is accurate and will publish the findings in Thursday’s edition.
The need for a selection meeting was made necessary when Campbell died Sept. 28. Campbell won the May 8 Democratic primary for the District 2 seat and was unopposed in the Nov. 6 general election. The county party’s pick will serve the four-year term that begins in December.
The person who will serve Campbell’s term will be elected by members of the district’s executive committee. That committee includes the chairman and vice chairman from each organized precinct. There are 12 precincts in the district.
Also eligible to vote are Democrat elected town officials living inside District 12. There are 24 such elected town leaders, according to information from the county Democratic Party.
The Robesonian has learned that there are considered to be two front-runners for the District 2 seat, Hubert Sealey, a former commissioner, and Campbell’s widow, Pauline.
Sealey previously served three terms on the board before losing to Campbell in 2014. Pauline Campbell has gone before town boards and the commissioners to express her interest.
Sealey told The Robesonian on Tuesday he was in Raleigh that day meeting with leaders of the state Democrat Party and was told that only three precincts, Fairmont, Maxton and Rowland had been organized by the deadline date and would be part of the selection process.
The Robesonian on Wednesday will contact the state party for clarification as there was not time to do that on Tuesday.
