Beth Dawson reacts to losing bid for New Hanover Co. commission

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — New Hanover County Commission Chair Beth Dawson lost her bid in the primary to be one of the Republicans on the November ballot.

Woody White, Patricia Kusek and Derrick Hickey beat Dawson. Hickey edged out the incumbent by fewer than 400 votes.

Dawson, who was voted to the commission in 2012, was just voted chair in December by fellow commissioners Jonathan Barfield and Rob Zapple, both Democrats. Their votes, combined with her vote, got her the position over Woody White.

Dawson responded to the loss in part in an e-mail by saying this:

“I obviously underestimated the magnitude of the orchestrated, negative false campaign attacks that utilized resources from an outside anonymous political action committee to target my race and my public service record, which is unprecedented in a local election,” Dawson said. “I look forward to continuing to serve the citizens for another eight months in this role. We have a budget to prepare, and decisions to make, and actions to take. I plan to continue to work hard and, as a dedicated public servant, will continue to be involved in our community for many years to come.”

The race for three county commission seats has been competitive in New Hanover County since the beginning.