Six candidates are vying for three spots on the Moore County Board of Education in Tuesday’s election, and four of them — Wiley Barrett, Kathy Farren, Belinda Bryant and Penny Hayes — are registered Republicans. Their posters are in the window.
There are no school board signs on the window of the Democratic Headquarters on New Hamp-shire Street, even though school board candidates Bruce Cunningham and Lorna Clack are both registered Democrats.
Elizabeth Kelly, chairwoman of the Republican Party of Moore County, said the signs are there for one simple reason.
“It’s because they’re registered Republicans,” she said. “They’re also in a brochure that the party has published.
“They’re Republicans, and that’s the bottom line. Why shouldn’t we support them? If they were registered nonpartisan, then we wouldn’t have them on our window and in our brochure.”
Bobbie Burrell, staffing coordinator for the Democratic Party headquarters in Southern Pines, said, “We feel that since it’s a non-partisan race that neither the school board or judge candidates should have their signs in our window. We would not object to having the signs here for people to pick up. If somebody comes to ask if a candidate is a Democrat, then we would tell them because it’s public information.”
Burrell stressed that while no signs are displayed for school board candidates, it doesn’t mean the party isn’t supporting Democratic candidates.
“As a party, we certainly support all of the Democrats that are running,” she said. “The Republican Party is free to do whatever they choose to do. We just aren’t putting nonpartisan race signs in our window.”
Farren’s and Hayes’ signs are on the same window even though they’re running against each other for the District 2 seat.
“I’m running against a Republican, so the fact that the party is supporting Republican candidates in a nonpartisan race is a moot point for me and Kathy Farren,” Hayes said. “Because it’s a nonpartisan race, I have been to both Republican and Democratic rallies. I have accepted every invitation to speak to the residents of Moore County.”
Farren is also seeking nonpartisan support for her campaign but said it can be hard to avoid talk about party affiliations.
“I don’t talk about being a Republican or a Democrat,” she said. “If I’m at a forum, people don’t usually ask, but if they do ask, I’ll tell them because they can look it up anyway. I’m not going to lie about it.
“They’re not promoting one candidate or the other, they’re just supporting the Republican Party.”
Farren pointed out that the Republican Party is also supporting Republican judges who are running in nonpartisan races.
Cunningham is seeking the District 5 seat currently held by Barrett. He doesn’t think the voters are looking at party affiliation in the school board races.
“The people are not looking at this as a partisan race,” he said. “Nobody has asked me if I’m a Republican or a Democrat. I’m focused on education. I’m running a non-partisan race and talking about education, not politics.”
Barrett has no qualms about his loyalty to the Republican Party.
“I’m proud to be a Republican,” he said, “and I will tell you that the Democratic Party is working very hard for my opponent.”
Barrett acknowledges that the school board election is supposed to be nonpartisan.
“You need both sides to win, but it’s a fact of life that I’m a Republican, and he’s a very liberal Democrat,” he said.
Bryant and Clack are running against one another for the District 1 seat. Clack would say only that “it doesn’t matter” what a school board candidate’s affiliation is. She declined further comment.
Bryant said she dropped her signs off at the Republican headquarters because they asked for them.
“People were asking for my signs so I dropped some off,” she said. “If the Democrats had called, I would have taken them some, too.”
Bryant said she’s made a point to talk to voters from both parties.
“I’ve been to every Democratic and every Republican meeting I’ve been asked to attend,” she says.
