THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 31, 1995 TAG: 9501310273
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
Pasquotank County Democrats will meet tonight to select a nominee to succeed former County Commissioner William C. Owens Jr., who was sworn in last week as the 1st District member of the state House of Representatives.
The meeting will be held in Courtroom ``A'' of the county courthouse at 6 p.m.
There are still two years remaining in Owens' term, and county commissioners must elect a successor. Traditionally, commissioners vote for a nominee selected by the county executive committee of the political party represented by the board member being replaced. But commissioners can ignore the recommendation and select their own successor.
``There are three candidates and it looks like they're about evenly divided in popularity among the executive committee members,'' said Catherine Meggs, chairman of the Pasquotank County Democratic Party.
In the running for Owens' job are former Sheriff Davis M. Sawyer Jr.; Johnny L. Houston, a mathematics professor at Elizabeth City State University, and Cecelia ``Ceci'' Cartwright Austin, an Elizabeth City educator.
Meggs said that if no candidate receives more than 40 percent of the total number of ballots cast, a second ballot will be held.
``The second time around will require 50 percent plus one vote to win,'' Meggs said.
About 45 votes are expected to be cast by the committee members, Meggs said. At least one city precinct - 3-B - may be ineligible to vote, the chairman said, because of an irregularity in scheduling and advertising an organization meeting.
For weeks, Sawyer was expected to be a shoo-in for the nomination, but in recent days Houston emerged as a favorite of the predominantly black voting majority within the city limits. ``Ceci'' Cartwright Austin was championed by younger Democrats. Sawyer has the support of old guard party members. by CNB