THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 10, 1994 TAG: 9411100631
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
With fewer than 200 registered Republicans in his hometown, Clayton T. Hopkins was a long shot as the GOP's sole candidate for Tyrrell County commissioner.
But the corn-and-livestock farmer was elected Tuesday night by a two-vote margin. He is the first Republican in local memory to sit on the five-member board. The 66-year-old Columbia native said he is ready to help make history - along with the rest of the nation's newly elected Republicans.
``I'm no politician. I've got no axes to grind. And I'm not going into this with any specific agenda,'' said Hopkins, who lost a bid for commissioner two years ago. ``I feel like I can represent the people I talk to, though. And the only way I thought I could be heard was to get involved.
``A lot of the Tyrrellians are Republicans at heart - but they're registered Democrats,'' said Hopkins, whose county has 1,922 Democrats and 179 Republicans. ``The silent majority is just getting fed up with the way things are going. This is their way of speaking out.''
From local Board of Education races right on up to the U.S. Congress, Republicans won big in Tuesday's elections.
Many of the GOP candidates were newcomers to elections - businessmen, blue collar workers and citizens who pledged to effect change. Some attacked the current system and incumbents. Others promised a new approach to politics.
``Most of the people who ran for this election ran as average, common people who were shocked or appalled at what government may have done to them,'' said Paul O'Neal of Coinjock, 32, an insurance sales manager who made history Tuesday by becoming the first Republican elected to Currituck County's five-member Board of Commissioners.
``These people want to change things.''
Of Currituck County's 7,923 registered voters, only 21 percent are Republicans. O'Neal said he had ``a lot of great friends and supporters in the Democratic as well as Republican community.'' And he's more than willing to work with his Democratic fellow board members.
``Maybe I'm naive, but I don't think political affiliation matters much at the local level,'' said O'Neal, who pledged to hold some commissioner meetings in other parts of the county and hopes to have board sessions televised. ``I realize it's going to be a lot of hard work, being the only Republican on that board. But I believe all of the commissioners have the best intentions for Currituck in their hearts.''
In Washington County, only 10.7 percent of the 7,238 voters are registered Republicans. But GOP candidate Barden R. Browning of Roper beat Democrat Jean W. Woolard by 198 votes for a seat on the Board of Education.
Dare County Republicans did not fare as well. The two GOP challengers each gave their opponents runs for their money. Races were much closer than anyone had called. But the majority party ruled on the Outer Banks, where almost twice as many of the 14,405 voters are registered Democrats as Republicans.
Shirley Hassell, the 54-year-old grandmother who won a seat on Dare County's seven-member governing board, will join the all-Democratic group in December. Although she, too, is a Democrat, she ran as a political outsider - like many of the Republicans.
``I didn't criticize the board members. I criticized the system,'' Hassell said from her Manns Harbor home. ``I'm more than willing to work with the other members of the board. But I know I've got my work cut out for me.
``Not one of the current board members has called me since the election. That makes me feel like they're already against me,'' Hassell said late Wednesday afternoon. ``You would think they'd at least telephone me to welcome me aboard. We've all got to work together. We're all servants of the people.''
As a commissioner, Hassell pledged to work for openness and honesty in county government. She promised to make county information - especially financial records - available to her constituents. And she hopes to initiate a salary study for county employees.
``I'm not planning to jump into anything just yet,'' said Hassell, who has a long list of county projects she wants to tackle. ``I'll have to get in there and feel my way through it all first.''
Hopkins agreed. ``I'm concerned about too much government,'' said the newly elected GOP Tyrrell County commissioner. ``I don't know what I'm going to do about it yet. But I'm sure going to get in there and find out.''
KEYWORDS: ELECTION RESULTS
by CNB