Incumbent Kenneth Parton and newcomer Tanner Lawson have won the Swain County Commission Republican primary.
Lawson is a youth pastor who said he felt called to run after serving on numerous local boards. Parton, an incumbent, is about to finish up his second term and is seeking a third.
Lawson finished with the highest vote total at 793, 37.11%, while Parton finished with 736, 34.44%. Eric Watson, another newcomer, finished with 608, 28.45%.
Several unaffiliated candidates have sought signatures to claim a spot on the general election ballot, but it isn’t known whether anyone has officially gained the 390 signatures needed.