Here are the results from the NC primary elections around Durham County

The votes are in for North Carolina’s 2022 primary election, where voters selected party candidates to proceed to the general elections in November.

North Carolina holds semi-closed primaries, which means that citizens can only vote in the primaries associated with their registered political parties. Individuals previously unaffiliated with a party can choose which primary to participate in.

The polls closed on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., and with all precincts reporting, here is how the votes tallied up for candidates representing or serving in Durham County.

Cheri Beasley (D) and Ted Budd (R) win Senate primaries

North Carolina’s second seat in the U.S Senate was vacated by Sen. Richard Burr after he announced during his 2016 campaign that, if elected, he would not be seeking another term.

As expected, Beasley clinched the Democratic primary win. Her major opposition from within the party, former state senator Jeff Jackson, dropped out of the race and endorsed her candidacy in December.  Beasley won 81.09% of the vote 98% of precincts reporting at 11 p.m. The Associated Press called the race at 7:47 p.m. 

Ted Budd has won the Republican primary for the same seat. Budd was endorsed by former president Donald Trump in April. He has served as a representative to the U.S House of Representatives for North Carolina’s 13th congressional district since 2017. Budd received 58.69% of the vote with 98% of precincts  reporting at 11 p.m. The Associated Press called the race at 7:47 p.m.

Beasley is a longtime judge and formerly served as Chief Justice of North Carolina’s Supreme Court. 

Valerie Foushee (D) and Courtney Geels (R) win House NC-04 primaries

House District NC-04, which was recently redistricted, is likely to elect Valerie Foushee to the U.S. House of Representatives in November. It is an overwhelmingly Democratic district and encompasses four universities, including Duke, and three community colleges.

Foushee gained 46.15% of the votes, stretching to a 9% lead over her more progressive Democratic opponent Nida Allam. Allam received endorsements from a number of progressive Democrats, including Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.

Courtney Geels beat out Republican opponent Robert Thomas, winning 64.59% of the vote. She will take on Foushee in November’s general election. 

Foushee currently serves in the North Carolina Senate. She was previously elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2012 before filling a vacancy in the state senate in 2013.

Foushee’s campaign has centered on criminal justice reform, fighting systemic racism, opposing gerrymandering and building a Medicare for All system. She is a supporter of women’s right to obtain abortions and sponsored legislation to expand abortion access in her time in the North Carolina Senate. 

Recently, the Progressive Caucus of the North Carolina Democratic Party revoked an endorsement of Foushee after her campaign accepted donations from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Geels, who works as a nurse, is a newcomer into electoral politics. She campaigned against abortion access, federal government overreach and vaccine mandates. Geels recently told WXII 12 News that she supports the claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump. 

In November, the winning candidate will replace longtime Democratic Rep. David Price, who announced his retirement in late 2021. 

Durham County Board of Education

Following historic trends of favoring Democratic candidates, none of the five right-leaning candidates who ran for spots in the non-partisan Durham’s County Board of Education won their election. They ran under Better Board, Better Schools, Better Futures (BBBS) slate. Only one of the candidates, Gayathri Rajaraman, won more than one-fifth of the vote.

Local Durham Elections

NC State Senate District 22 Republican Primary: Larry Coleman

Larry Coleman: 68.48%

John Tarantino: 31.52%

District Attorney District 16 Democratic Primary: Satana Deberry

Satana Deberry: 79.39%

Jonathan Wilson: 15.73%

Daniel Meier: 4.88%

Durham County Clerk of Superior Court Democratic Primary: Aminah Thompson 

Aminah Thompson: 65.33%

Archie Smith: 22.45%

LiBria Stephens: 12.22%

Durham County Sheriff Democratic Primary: Clarence Birkhead

Clarence Birkhead: 90.02%

Paul Martin: 9.98%

NC Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 05 Republican Primary: Trey Allen

Trey Allen: 57.63%

April C. Wood: 34.50%

Victoria E. Prince: 7.87%

NC Court of Appeals Judge Seat 09 Republican Primary: Donna Stroud

Donna Stroud: 63.40%

Beth Freshwater Smith: 36.60%

NC Court of Appeals Judge Seat 11 Republican Primary: Michael J. Stading

Michael J. Stading: 72.42%

Charlton L. Allen: 27.58%

NC District Court Judge District 14 Seat 01 Democratic Primary: Dave Hall

Dave Hall: 76.15%

Jesica M. Major: 23.85%

NC District Court Judge District 14 Seat 03 Democratic Primary: Kevin E. Jones

Kevin E. Jones: 72.50%

Pat Evans: 27.50%

Durham County Board of Education District 01: Emily Susanna Chavez

Emily Susanna Chavez: 54.53%

Jasper Fleming: 35.12%

Curtis Hrischuk: 9.11%

Durham County Board of Education District 02: Bettina Umstead (incumbent)

Bettina Umstead: 71.59%

Donald Hughes: 23.66%

Christopher Burns: 4.37%

Durham County Board of Education District 03: Matt Sears (incumbent)

Matt Sears: 80.28%

Gayathri Rajaraman: 18.96%

Durham County Board of Education District 04: Natalie Beyer (incumbent)

Natalie Beyer: 48.49%

Valarie Tina Jarvis: 26.93%

Myca Jeter: 23.99%

Durham County Board of Education District B: Millicent Rogers

Millicent Rogers: 54.81%

Frederick Xavier Ravin III: 28.40%

Joetta MacMiller: 16.27%

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