Brunswick County voters keep board of education intact

Incumbents reclaimed the three Brunswick County Board of Education seats that were up for grabs in Tuesday’s General Election.

In District 1, voters re-elected Bud Thorsen by 62 percent of the vote over Ray Gilbert. Thorsen received 33,592 votes to Gilbert’s 20,434 votes.

Thorsen, the Chief Court Counselor for 13th Judicial District, has served on the board for14 years, acting as chairman from 2000-2002 and again in 2010.

Catherine Cooke also won with a commanding 60 percent of the electorate to beat Lorene Hewett-Williams 32,366 votes to 21,487.

Cooke will serve a second term on the board of education with the victory.

Shirley Babson won the closest race of the night 30,948 to 23,440 to claim 57 percent of the vote in beating Tom Simmons.

Babson, the current chairman of the Brunswick County Board of Education, has served in that role five times while remaining on the board since 2000.

Brian Slattery is a staff writer for The Brunswick Beacon. Reach him at 754-6890 or bslattery@brunswickbeacon.com.