Hartsell, 53, of Concord, shut out real estate agent Glenn Harold Comer 5,256 votes to 1,493. Comer, 41, of Concord, was Hartsell’s only opponent in the Republican primary.

No Democrats filed, all but assuring Hartsell a win in November. The district includes 14 precincts in southern Rowan County, all of Cabarrus and one precinct in Stanly.

An attorney whose clients include the Cabarrus County government and school system, Hartsell has served on the public assistance oversight committee in the Senate.

Two years ago, Hartsell sponsored a bill that let the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners call for a public referendum on raising money for school construction. The referendum included a new tax on real estate transactions and a local sales tax just for schools.Voters shot it down by a wide margin.

In other races:

• Republican incumbent Bobby Barbee held onto his seat in the 82nd N.C. House district, which includes all of Stanly County and parts of Cabarrus and Union. Barbee scored 2,488 votes in all three counties, compared to David Almond’s 1,945 and Kenny Furr’s 903.
  
• Miki Lingafelt won the Republican primary for the Cabarrus County Register of Deeds. Lingafelt had 2,069 votes compared to Don Harrison’s 1,547 and Steven Hilton’s 751. Lingafelt will face Democrat incumbent Linda F. McAbee, who was appointed to the post last year.