By Karissa Minn
kminn@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — “Bozo the Clown” was just 97 votes away from becoming the town of Cleveland’s new mayor this year.
A total of 116 write-in candidates received votes in Rowan County’s municipal elections on Nov. 8. Among them were “Santa,” “Bill” and “None of the Above.”
Voters also gave support to many local residents, including those who ran campaigns without ever filing for office.
Leading among the write-ins for Salisbury City Council was Benjamin “Ben” Johnson, whose name appeared on the ballot in 2009. He received 108 votes but was not elected in the crowded race.
Clyde, a local artist, got 7 votes — some written as “Clyde,” his legal name, and others as “Clyde Overcash,” his former name.
Other names written in the blank for Salisbury City Council include: Mac Butner, chairman of the Rowan County Planning Board; Raymond Coltrain, Rowan County commissioner; Ralph Ketner, co-founder of Food Lion; William Peoples, former president of the local NAACP chapter; Ronnie Smith, philanthropist and former Food Lion employee; and Beth Woodson, wife of Paul Woodson, the top vote-getter.
Former Salisbury City Councilman Mark Lewis also received 3 votes.
Voters in Spencer wrote in a few past office holders, too. Former mayor Alicia Bean received one vote for alderman.
Former alderman Jon Palmer and former mayor C.E. Spear each received one vote for mayor.
Another vote for mayor simply went to “Bill.”
Perhaps wanting Christmas to come early this year, one voter in Spencer wrote in Santa’s name.
In Cleveland, “Bozo the Clown” got a vote for mayor and “Bozo” received a vote for commissioner.
In Landis, one vote for both mayor and alderman went to “None of the Above.”
Write-in candidates who led campaigns in two towns earned significant vote totals, but not enough to be elected.
Marshall Gore got 54 votes in the race for East Spencer alderman, and Kim Fraley received 76 as a candidate for Granite Quarry alderman.
On 19 ballots, voters filled in the bubble next to the write-in choice, but cast those with no valid name or nothing written in the blank.
Here’s the full list of write-ins:
Salisbury
Benjamin “Ben” Johnson, city council, 108
No Valid Name, city council, 8
Clyde (Overcash), city council, 7
Mark Lewis, city council, 3
Charles Black, city council, 2
Marc Hoffman, city council, 2
William Adams Jr., city council, 1
Steve Arey, city council, 1
Stephen Arthur, city council, 1
Paul Bernthrow, city council, 1
Thomas P. Blanton, city council, 1
Kaloni Brincefield, city council, 1
Matthew Burnside, city council, 1
Mac Butner, city council, 1
Bill Cameron, city council, 1
Raymond Coltrain, city council, 1
Ray Corriher, city council, 1
William Davis, city council, 1
Charles Deadwyler, city council, 1
George Elkhouri, city council, 1
Max Freeman, city council, 1
J.A. Hargrove, city council, 1
Richard Kelly, city council, 1
Ralph Ketner, city council, 1
Mike Marteli, city council, 1
Joeseph Murdoch, city council, 1
William Peoples, city council, 1
Douglas A. Smith, city council, 1
Ronnie Smith, city council, 1
Ringo Spencer, city council, 1
Gary Thornburg, city council, 1
Beth Woodson, city council, 1
Glen Yost, city council, 1
Kannapolis
Ted Christy, city council, 1
Carlos J. Moore, city council, 1
China Grove
Harry Mills, mayor, 4
No Name Listed, mayor, 2
No Valid Name, mayor, 2
April Akers, mayor, 1
David Broadway, mayor, 1
Tom Collins, mayor, 1
Donnie Deal, mayor, 1
Mike Dennis, mayor, 1
Whity Harwood, mayor, 1
Scott Lowdor, mayor, 1
Mark Owens, mayor, 1
Jason Sharkey, mayor, 1
Bennie Woodward, mayor, 1
No Valid Name, alderman, 2
Cleveland
James A. Brown Jr., mayor, 1
Bozo the Clown, mayor, 1
Wendy Guffy, mayor, 1
Rodger D. Davis, mayor, 1
Frank D. Glover III, mayor, 1
Richard S. Kennedy, mayor, 1
Bozo, commissioner, 1
Wendy Guffy, commissioner, 1
Faith
Gary Cline, alderman, 1
Wesley Fulk, alderman, 1
Greg Peeler, alderman, 1
Bill Retallich, alderman, 1
Kevin Smarr, alderman, 1
Tim Williams, alderman, 1
Granite Quarry
Kim Fraley, alderman, 76
Buddy Poplin, alderman, 2
Jean Fraley, alderman, 1
Tina Fraley, alderman, 1
Gregory Philpot, alderman, 1
East Spencer
Marshall Gore, alderman, 54
No Name Listed, alderman, 1
Landis
Mike Mahaley, mayor, 1
Jerry Pickrel, mayor, 1
Sally Wilson, mayor, 1
None of the Above, mayor, 1
Will Beaver, alderman, 3
F.E. Isenhour, alderman, 2
Marshall Deadmon, alderman, 1
Monica Foster, alderman, 1
C.J. Nicholson, alderman, 1
Jerry Pickrel, alderman, 1
David Sells, alderman, 1
Sally Wilson, alderman, 1
None of the Above, alderman, 1
No Valid Name, alderman, 1
Rockwell
Tim Draper, mayor, 3
No Valid Name, mayor, 2
Terry Beaver, mayor, 1
Betsy Stroud, mayor, 1
Franklin Wright, alderman, 1
Thor Wright, alderman, 1
Spencer
Robert “Bobby” Marsh, mayor, 4
Beth Nance, mayor, 4
Buddy Gettys, mayor, 2
Randy Gettys, mayor, 2
Billy Pless, mayor, 2
Jerry Smith, mayor, 2
Joel Baker, mayor, 1
R. Bennett, mayor, 1
Bill, mayor, 1
Leslie Cataldo, mayor, 1
Ron Kester, mayor, 1
Kay Wright Norman, mayor, 1
Jon Palmer, mayor, 1
David Smith, mayor, 1
Trish Smith, mayor, 1
C.E. Spear, mayor, 1
Ruby Steele, mayor, 1
Howard White, mayor, 1
Jerry Smith, alderman, 5
Jay Baker, alderman, 2
Terry Smith, alderman, 2
Alicia Bean, alderman, 1
Scott Benfield, alderman, 1
Anthony Fisher, alderman, 1
Delaine Fowler, alderman, 1
Richard Gross, alderman, 1
Martha Haynes, alderman, 1
Sam Morgan, alderman, 1
W. F. Owens, alderman, 1
Billy Pless, alderman, 1
Craig Powers, alderman, 1
Santa, alderman, 1
Dawn Sells, alderman, 1
No Name Listed, alderman, 1
Contact reporter Karissa Minn at 704-797-4222.
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