Hutchins wins GOP primary for judge; Massaroni is next 50th District state rep
NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 — The 2022 Primary provided election watchers a number of surprise outcomes in local races.
JUDGE-EXECUTIVE. In the three-way Republican primary in the judge-executive’s race, voters overwhelmingly chose former magistrate Tim Hutchins over former Democrat Bill Gentry and former county GOP chairman, Don Thrasher.
Hutchins received 45.36 percent of the vote, while Thrasher garnered 34.31 percent of the vote. Gentry, a retired radio executive who changed party affiliation before filing as a Republican candidate, came in a distant third with 20.33 percent of the vote.
In the November general election, Hutchins will go on to face Magistrate Eric Shelburne, the Democratic nominee, who had no opposition in the May primary.
50TH DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE. Political newcomer Candy Massaroni surprised many Republicans with her narrow win over party chairman Trey Bradley. With no Democrat in this race, the primary vote gave Massaroni the right to serve the next two years as state representative in Nelson County’s 50th District.
The early voting and absentee totals gave Bradley a small lead, but as the regular precinct totals were tallied, the race tightened. Massaroni edged ahead with a small lead she was able to hold on to. By the of the night, she beat Bradley by a margin of 79 votes.
Due to state Rep. Chad McCoy’s decision to delay his announcement he was not going to seek re-election, his name remained on the primary ballot and as a result, he received 428 votes — 12.6 percent of the total — which was probably a contributing factor to Massaroni’s win.
NELSON COUNTY JAILER. Justin Hall was Republican voter’s overwhelming choice in Tuesday’s primary, earning 68.3 percent of the votes. Todd Stratton received 31.61 percent of the vote.
Hall will face off against Democrat Steve Campell in the November general election for Nelson County Jailer.
DISTRICT 3 MAGISTRATE. Businessman M.T. Harned came out on top in the four-way Republican primary for 3rd District magistrate. Harned received 251 votes, followed by Philip Bischoff (216 votes), Toni Marie Wiley (103) and Jeffrey Cassel (85).
Harned will face Democrat David H. Avis in the November election. Avis won the only local Democratic primary race, topping David Call with 449 votes to Call’s 315.
DISTRICT 5 MAGISTRATE. Former Nelson County Sheriff Jon Snow won his primary race against Ann Marie Williams, 370 votes to 250.
Snow will face-off in November against Kenny Downs, another retired law enforcement officer to determine which of the men will represent the district on Nelson Fiscal Court.
2ND CONGRESSIONAL. Incumbent Congressman Brett Guthrie easily carried Nelson County in Tuesday’s Republican primary election with 70.27 percent of the vote. His nearest Republican challenger, Lee Watts, received 25.95 percent of the votes.
On the Democratic side of the primary for 2nd District Congress, Hank Linderman topped William Dakota Compton with 61.48 percent of the vote in his primary race.
Linderman will face Guthrie in the November primary election.
U.S. SENATE. In the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, Charles Booker won by a landslide in both the 2nd Congressional and 4th Congressional district in Nelson County, earning 69.3 percent and 65. 06 percent of the vote respectively.
In the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, incumbent Rand Paul easily cruised to a primary win with 90 percent of the vote in Nelson County.
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