KINGWOOD — Samantha Stone is Preston County’s new county commissioner.
Stone, a farmer, business owner, mother of three young sons, Republican and substitute school bus driver, beat out Democrat John Crippin for the position. Unofficial voting totals, with all 28 precincts reporting, showed Stone with 7,131 votes (69.21 percent) and Crippin with 3,155 (30.62 percent).
County Clerk Linda Huggins said unofficial totals show Preston County had a 56.22 percent voter turnout, with 10.539 ballots cast. The election went smoothly, Huggins said. A few printers jammed on the aging voting machines, but this is the last election when Preston County will use them.
A few polls also piloted the use of an iPad based program that replaced hardcopy poll books. Secretary of State Mac Warner asked Preston to take part in the trial, Huggins said, “and the poll workers loved them.”
Stone said that she was, “overwhelmed with gratitude,” at the win.
On the commission, “I really hope to get in the entire county and just fulfill the things … they would like to see in the county and just meeting in the middle, getting the things done,” Stone said. “I just want to see some good things done for my kids and for all the kids in the county, just growth and moving forward.”
She said her children were the “drive” behind her campaign.
Crippin said he believes what’s happening nationally in the Democratic party hurt his campaign.
“And Republicans outnumber Democrats almost two-to-one in the county to start with, and she did a hard-fought race,” Crippin said. “Evidently she got out there more than I did.”
He is a lifelong volunteer and will continue to do that, Crippin said. His advice to Stone, he said, would be, “just mainly to look at both sides of every issue and try to come up with a middle solution.”
They have talked during the campaign and can continue to do that, he said. “I’m still here for the county and the people of Preston County.”
Competition for the commission spot became heated after Commission President Craig Jennings, a Republican, announced in January that he would not seek a third term. Jennings cited a desire to spend more time with his family and not wanting to stay so long in office he no longer did the job well.
In the primary, five Republicans vied for the party nomination: Karen Bright, Art Lipscomb, Tracy Polce, Stone and Lucas Tatham. Republican Anne Armstrong’s name was on the ballot, but she had withdrawn from the race. Nonetheless, she garnered votes in the primary.
Crippin was the only Democrat to run for the seat.
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