Weatherman, Boliek win Republican primary runoffs

(The Center Square) – In a low turnout Second Primary Election, North Carolina Republicans chose Hal Weatherman and Dave Boliek as nominations for lieutenant governor and auditor, respectively.

Results are unofficial and winners were declared Tuesday night. Just more than 132,000 voters turned out, or 2.7%, compared to more than 1.8 million (24.1%) on Super Tuesday. Candidates finishing second in races where the winner did not eclipse 30% could request the runoffs.

Weatherman will face Democrat Rachel Hunt, daughter of former two-time four-term Gov. Jim Hunt, and Libertarian Dee Watson on the November ballot. Weatherman was declared the winner not long after polls closed , defeating Jim O’Neill 74.4%-25.6%.

Boliek’s opponents for state auditor in November are Democrat Jessica Holmes, the lawyer appointed to the position when Beth Wood resigned, and Libertarian Bob Drach. Boliek defeated Jack Clark 53.3%-46.7%.

The day included just three other election races, each specific to locale. In the 13th Congressional District , Brad Knott defeated Kelly Daughtry – who suspended her campaign after an endorsement by former President Donald Trump for her opponent – with 90.7% of the votes.

The Orange County Board of Education race was won by Bonnie Hauser over Jennifer Moore 63.8%-36.2%. The Gaston County Board of Commissioners South Point Township Republican primary was won by Jim Bailey over Ronnie Worley 62.7%-37.3%.

Weatherman is a supporter of former President Donald Trump; building a border wall; deporting people living in or who have entered the country illegally; Second Amendment rights; pro-life laws; election integrity; and school choice. He was chief of staff for former Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and former U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick.

O’Neill is a fourth-term district attorney in Forsyth County and pitches Winston-Salem as one of the safest cities in the nation. His campaign talks about law enforcement and crime problems, both what he’s done as a district attorney and how he hopes to use the lieutenant governor position to do more across the state.

Boliek has master’s degrees in law and business administration, though he’s achieved success fiscally as the chairman of the Board of Trustees at UNC Chapel Hill. Clark is a certified public accountant, has experience in audits and with the state budget, and touts himself as a lifelong Republican.

North Carolinians had a certified public accountant in the state auditor's position from the election of 2004 until Wood resigned.