LUMBERTON — Democrats will gather Saturday at the Robeson County Courthouse to try again to select someone to fill a vacant Board of Commissioners seat.
The Robeson County Democratic Executive Committee for Commissioner District 2 will meet at 10 a.m. in Courtroom 2A. The purpose of the meeting is to select a person to serve the remaining term of the late Commissioner Berlester Campbell. Campbell won the Democratic primary in May and was unopposed in the November general election, thereby winning re-election. He died Sept. 28.
State law requires the political party of the deceased candidate to determine Campbell’s successor, according to county Democratic Party Chairman Ed Henderson. They must follow rules set out in the Democratic Party Plan of Organization.
Pauline Campbell, Campbell’s widow, was chosen over Hubert Sealey by the Executive Committee for the seat on Nov. 15 in a close vote. Sealey, who once occupied the seat, challenged the results, and the N.C. Democratic Party Review Committee ruled in his favor on Dec. 15. Sealey died on Dec. 17.
“I’ve been told that as many as four people are campaigning for the seat, Pauline Campbell; Linda Sealey, widow of the late Hubert Sealey; Nick Evans and Terry Evans,” Henderson said.
Nick Evans and Hubert Sealey ran against Berlester Campbell in the May 8 primary, with Sealey finishing second and Evans third. Terry Evans is chairman of the Fairmont precinct in District 2 and a member of the Fairmont Board of Commissioners.
Everyone is welcome to attend Saturday’s meeting, Henderson said. ,only members of the District 2 Executive Committee will be eligible to vote.
The District 2 executive committee is comprised of the chairman, vice chairman and secretary/treasurer from each of the 12 precincts in District 2 and anyone who lives in District 2 and has been elected to public office. But only organized precincts have the required elected officers who are allowed to vote.
Only six precincts, Back Swamp, Fairmont, Gaddy’s, Maxton, Orrum and Rowland, were organized in time to participate in Nov. 15 meeting.
The Whitehouse precinct was organized on Jan. 3 and its officers will be able to participate in Saturday’s executive committee meeting, along with officers from the six precincts at the Nov. 15 meeting.
