Realtor Brian Pate easily won election to a seat on the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners Tuesday, rolling up 873 votes in the unofficial vote count.
He was followed by incumbent Commissioner Anne Reeve, who had 836 votes, and by incumbent Commissioner Greg Harrington with 724 votes. The two newcomers to the town’s political scene, Chad Casale and Brian Clemson, trailed with 415 and 449 votes, respectively.
Tuesday’s turnout was very low, with 12.42 percent of eligible voters casting ballots countywide. From the Wake Forest figures it appears fewer than 1,000 people out of 22,644 registered voters bothered to vote, about 4 percent.
The percentage of votes cast in the 14 precincts for the candidates were 26.18 percent for Pate, 25.07 for Reeve, 21.72 for Harrington, 13.47 for Clemson and 12.45 for Casale. It is impossible to calculate the number of voters from those percentages or the vote total because voters may have marked the ballot for only one or two candidates rather than three. The vote totals will be available soon from Wake County Board of Elections.
The date when the three – Pate, Harrington and Reeve – are sworn into office is a bit fluid right now. The town has to wait until the Board of Elections certifies the election, usually a routine procedure, and Town Clerk Deeda Harris said late Wednesday the ceremony will not be held at the close of the board’s regular meeting on Nov. 17. The three will be sworn in before the December board meetings.
Pate celebrated his election with a party at Brooks Street Bowl. Harrington and Reeve celebrated more quietly at their homes.
In a statement Wednesday, Pate said, “I am very excited to have been entrusted by the people of Wake Forest with the future of our town in yesterday’s election. It is a humbling experience to campaign for office and I am amazed at how nice the people of Wake Forest have been as I have knocked on doors and talked to them at different events.
“As we set our sights on the next four years, I am excited for the future as we strive to maintain the small town charm of this great town.”
Harrington sent a statement saying, “I am truly humbled to be re-elected to the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners and I want to thank everyone who took the time to come out on such a messy day to exercise their right to vote. So many people miss that chance because of commitments to other activities in their lives. With the election of Brian Pate to the Board I know we will continue to have a great working relationship with each other and other town employees. This is an exciting time and I`m glad to be a part of it. Thank you again for your trust in me.”
“While I had hoped for a different outcome, I am happy for the newly elected commissioners and wish them the best,” Brian Clemson wrote in a statement Wednesday. “I plan to stay involved. I would encourage residents to reach out to their elected officials and let them know what they think regarding town issues that they feel are important. I certainly plan to do so. My expectations for the Board of Commissioners are that they do what is best for Wake Forest, that they not only listen to residents’ complaints and suggestions, but take action on them and provide feedback, and that they think outside the box. Continuing with the status quo is not acceptable, in my opinion.”
Casale and Reeve had not responded to the request for statements by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. If they are received, they will be published next week.
