Hand-to-eye confirms original tally
Debra "Hank" Dinschel
Robbinsville – Almost a month after the general election, all of the local races have been officially decided.
Who would fill the second seat on the Graham County Board of Education has been in limbo since Nov. 8, but Debra “Hank” Dinschel was officially sworn in as the board’s newest member Tuesday after being declared the official winner of the second seat Friday.
Dinschel, a Republican, and Maria Shook, a Democrat, had been in a tight race for the seat. Clark “Chip” Carringer easily won his re-election bid, securing the most votes (2,370, or 36.23 percent of ballots cast).
But Shook left election night with a slim 1,432-1,431 advantage over Dinschel. Final absentees – counted after the general election, but required to be postmarked by Nov. 8 – led to a 1,434-1,434 stalemate.
Six provisionals recorded Nov. 17 ultimately gave Dinschel a 1,437-1,436 win.
“Thank you to all the Graham County folks who supported me with their votes, words of encouragement and for asking friends and family to vote for me,” Dinschel said in a statement sent to The Graham Star on Saturday. “Also, I thank God for placing me on the school board. I respect my opponent – Maria Shook – and her pursuit of all options available to her to get to a win; she has demonstrated honor toward her voters in every way.
“I’m looking forward to diving into this new endeavor, now that the election is behind me.”
Shook originally requested a recount, which took place Nov. 28. The process entailed feeding all ballots back through the tabulators. When the outcome remained unchanged, Shook formally asked early the next day for the hand-to-eye.
“I appreciate every single person that voted for me,” Shook told The Graham Star on Friday. “One thing I’ve realized is I have won, either way. I don’t have to be on the board of education to serve the children of this county – and that is all that matters.”
The seat was open after incumbent Shane Garland (D) received just 1,299 votes in his re-election bid.