HUNTINGTON -- Two incumbents on the Cabell County School Board each secured another term in Tuesday's primary election.
According to unofficial returns, Suzanne McGinnis Oxley topped all candidates with 9,704 votes, with current board president Ted Barr finishing second with 6,720 votes.
Barr had to endure a strong surge by his District 4 challengers, Nancy Newfeld and Garland Parsons. The final report from the Cabell County Courthouse had Barr with about 1,600 more votes than Newfeld and about 2,500 more than Parsons.
Newfeld was third in total votes with 5,143, and Parsons finished fourth with 4,293. Jerry Brewster, 3,360, Larry Carrico, 3,143, George Watson, 2,488, and Albert Clark, 1,483, rounded out the eight candidates and their vote totals.
Barr and Oxley both said the county will be well served by keeping the current board on tap for another two years, especially with schools still under construction and the impending vote on whether to consolidate Beverly Hills and Enslow middle schools and where to build a new school if consolidation is approved.
"A lot of good things have been happening, and I think the public is aware of that," said Oxley, who is just completing her first term. "There's been so much work done by this board. ... I think the board wants to do what is best for everyone."
Barr, who will now serve a third term, said he believes the public sees the good working relationship among board members and with Superintendent William Smith. And, he said, the board is on the right track.
"The continuity will be to the benefit of the taxpayers and the children who will attend our new schools," Barr said.
Barr gave a lot of credit to his opponents. He said a fresh face is always a fear of a veteran politician. But Newfeld and Parsons said Barr's name recognition helped throughout the campaign process.
"Suzanne has done a great job, and Ted Barr has great name recognition," Newfeld said, adding that she ran the race she wanted to. "I enjoyed the whole process. I felt like I was honest in what I said, and there's nothing I would say or do differently."
Parsons, a longtime Cabell County Schools maintenance worker who ran in the election two years ago, wished to thank those who voted for him. He said it was a good race with a lot of qualified candidates. He also hinted to a desire to run again in two years when three seats will be open.
Albert Clark, who was running as a District 3 candidate, stayed at the courthouse for most of the night, but he conceded his loss after about half the precincts were reported.
"I'm still going to fight, and in two years, I can come back and go again," Clark said.
Clark, a former youth coach, said although the voters had a lot of issues to deal with when it came to school board, he said money plays a large part in getting your name out there.
"I didn't have a whole lot of money, and I funded it on my own," Clark said, adding that not being able to attend the candidate forums hurt his chances. "The public wasn't able to see who I was."
Larry Carrico, also running in District 3, and the lone District 5 candidate George Watson were also behind most of the race for just two open seats.
"I thought I ran a really strong campaign," said Watson, a Marshall University education professor. "I'm going to recharge my battery and we'll see (about the next election in two years) when it comes."
The new term for Oxley and Barr begin July 1.
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