Stanly County election results arrive for 2022 midterm races

(AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)

STANLY COUNTY — Over half of registered voters in Stanly County submitted ballots in the 2022 midterm elections, coalescing into a large Election Day turnout yesterday. With all 22 precincts reporting, 53.6% (23,494 out of 43,799) of registered voters in the county made their voices heard.

The biggest draw to the polls locally belonged to North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race between three-term U.S. Rep. Ted Budd and Democratic nominee Cheri Beasley. With 98% of precincts reporting, Budd is the winner with 50.7% of the votes statewide, topping Beasley’s 47.1%.

Budd, who won 76% of the votes among Stanly County ballots, will join fellow Republican Tom Tillis in the U.S. Senate, succeeding the retiring Richard Burr.

Representing Stanly County in the redrawn 8th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop won reelection over Democratic candidate Scott Huffman (with 99% of precincts reporting) in a landslide with 70.1% of the vote. 

Bishop garnered 78.7% of the votes among Stanly County voters. The Charlotte native has represented the 9th Congressional District since 2019 but switched to the 8th District after a court-mandated redraw of the state’s congressional map.

Representing Stanly County and N.C. District 33, incumbent Republican State Sen. Carl Ford handedly defeated Democratic challenger Tangela Lucy Horn Morgan.

The China Grove resident picked up 78.4% of the ballots among county voters and received 73% of the vote among the entire district. Previously, Ford served three terms in the state house, representing the 76th district.

With 81.3% of the vote, Republican incumbent Jeff Crisco won reelection as Stanly County’s sheriff over Democratic contender Davara Pounds; Crisco has served in the role since 2018.

With 78.6% of the vote, Republican Ginger Efird won the Stanly County Clerk of Superior Court’s race over Democratic contender Todd H. Lowder. She was previously the administrative assistant to the District Attorney of Prosecutorial District 28.

Many Republicans on Stanly County’s ballots ran and won their seats unopposed, most notably Wayne Sasser of the N.C. House 67th District. 

Unopposed Republican winners include: Patty Crump (Board of Commissioners At-Large), Mike Barbee (Board of Commissioners District 1), Bill Lawhon (Board of Commissioners District 2), Brandon King (Board of Commissioners District 3), Trent Hatley (Board of Commissioners District 4), Robin B. Whittaker (Board of Education At-Large) and Dustin Lisk (Board of Education District 1).

All countywide election results can be accessed at https://www.votestanlycountync.gov/.