DOBBINS HEIGHTS — Residents in this Richmond County town will only see one new face in their local government.

Barbara Young won a seat on the Dobbins Heights Town Council with 157 total votes in Tuesday’s municipal election.

Current councilwoman Mary Ann Gibson retained her seat as the second-highest vote-getter with 89. Challenger Eddie McRae had a total of 36 votes and 20-year-old Elijah Lockhart got 21.

This will be Gibson’s third consecutive term on the town council and Young’s first.

“My main thing is trying to help Dobbins Heights become a better town,” Young said at the Richmond County Board of Elections after the unofficial results came in. “I see a lot of things I hope I can make better.

“And I’m so appreciative to the voters,” she added, singing a repetitive, “Sooo appreciative.”

Young and her husband Joe are active members in the community, with Joe volunteering so much, she said people think he works for the town.

“He just loves the town,” she said. “Sometimes I think I ought to be more like him.”

Mayor Antonio Blue also retained his seat with 62 percent of the vote.

When early voting results were handed out before the election day numbers came in, they showed Blue leading councilwoman Gracie Jackson 42-7. When the final votes were added up, Blue had 111 to Jackson’s 43.

Jackson —whose husband Halbert was the first mayor of the town — has been on the council for nearly 28 years.

She had already decided not to run for the council again, but decided to run for mayor because there were some things she wanted to get accomplished while she was still able.

Neither of the other challengers — Ernest Primus and James Whitt — received any ballots during early voting. But on election day, Whitt had 16 and Primus 10.

Blue was besieged with phone calls after the results had come in.

He simply said his main goal was “moving the town further into the 21st century,” something Joe Young talked about outside the polling place earlier in the day.

“We’ll either keep going toward the 21st century or go back 50 years,” he said, as the candidates and their campaigners sat in the shade of trees in the parking lot of First United Methodist Church in Hamlet.

Young listed off several recent accomplishments in the town, including the new community center, afterschool program, renovations to the park and the town’s website, which launched nearly two weeks ago.

“We need to start thinking about the young people,” he said. “Give them a chance to compete with the rest of the world. If you don’t have productive citizens in your town, it won’t grow.”

According to elections director Connie Kelly, Dobbins Heights has 590 registered voters.

Records show that 49 votes had been cast prior to the election day.

By 3:05 p.m. on Tuesday, 92 residents had filled out their ballots.

Kendra Faries, chief precinct judge, said voters had been trickling in all day, with some ready to vote as soon as they opened the doors at 6:30 a.m.

“I think we’ve had a really good turnout, compared to the last time,” she said.

Preliminary results show there were 180 total votes cast for mayor and 304 for the town council.

Kelly said, in all, voter participation was about 31 percent.

“I wish the turnout had been better,” Blue said.

All votes will be final after being certified next Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Reach reporter William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 and follow him on Twitter @William_r_toler.

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https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_DHGibson_mug.jpgGibson

William R. Toler | Daily Journal Barbara Young, the newest face on the Dobbins Heights Town Council, chats with re-elected Mayor Antonio Blue at the Richmond County Board of Elections as the unofficial results of the town’s election came in Tuesday night. Councilwoman Mary Ann Gibson was also re-elected.
https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_dhelection.jpgWilliam R. Toler | Daily Journal Barbara Young, the newest face on the Dobbins Heights Town Council, chats with re-elected Mayor Antonio Blue at the Richmond County Board of Elections as the unofficial results of the town’s election came in Tuesday night. Councilwoman Mary Ann Gibson was also re-elected.
Gibson, Blue retain seats in municipal election

By William R. Toler

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