“I’m the new person then, so I’m ready to go to work,” Shields said as he pulled over on his way to Republican headquarters to check on the status of other races. 

“I think their [voters’] perspective is if you put a lot of hard work in now, it’s not a novelty to you when you get to the county commission board,” Shields said on his hypothesis of why the win came about. 

Shields, who retired in 2010 from decades in education, will join Democrat Ronnie Beale, who won re-election to his seat on the board. Beale took 31 percent of the vote for the Franklin seat. 

“I’ve tried to work hard for the citizens ever since I’ve been elected eight years ago, and I think they realize that,” said Beale, who is the sitting president of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners.

Jim Tate, R, also won re-election, taking the Highlands seat with 67 percent of the vote against his opponent, Michael David Rogers. Though Tate is an incumbent, this is his first general election, as he was initially appointed to his seat three years ago and held onto it in a May election. 

“I’m so appreciative to Macon County for supporting me and believing in me and allowing me to be their commissioner,” Tate said. 

On paper, the election will keep the current tally of four Republican and one Democratic board member. But the board doesn’t typically vote along party lines, with most split votes occurring either 3-2, with Republican Chairman Kevin Corbin, Tate and Beale voting against Haven and Commissioner Paul Higdon. The 4-1 votes usually feature Higdon as the sole opposition. So, there’s potential for this election outcome to change those tallies. 

“Based upon his [Shields’] campaign platform, we tend to see things very similarly, so I’m excited about getting to know Gary Shields and seeing what he’s all about,” Tate said. 

Depending on whom you ask, the current board is either doing a good job or playing politics too much. 

“I strongly believe that they need to put the interests of the people ahead of the politics of the office,” said Franklin resident Richard Sullivan, 70. He said he thinks the current board verges too closely on being “professional politicians” but admitted that he voted for incumbents Haven and Tate “because we don’t have a lot of choices.”

On the other hand, Franklin voter Michael Johnson, 61, praised the current board’s decision to pursue the Parker Meadows tournament ballfield. 

“I don’t know what it’s going to do for the county, but I like that the commissioners are being progressive,” the Republican said. 

In a small town, local races can be personal since voters often know at least one of the candidates personally. That personal relationship was what led Sullivan to vote for Shields, and it’s partially why Franklin voter David Beam, 50, had a tough time deciding his ballot. 

“It was a hard choice,” the pastor said, declining to reveal who he ended up deciding on. 

The new board will have hard choices of their own to make in the future. Challenges will include deciding whether — and by how much — to raise the property tax rate to offset a lowered county valuation, and how to deal with increased school funding requests in light of cuts at the state level. 

Haven did not immediately return calls requesting comment. 

Voter turnout was 47.3 percent, with 11,853 of 25,081 registered voters voting. 

Macon County Commissioners

Franklin District (two seats)

Gary Shields (R)7,647

Ronnie Beale* (D)6,041

Ron Haven* (R)4,221

John Martin (L)1,349

Highlands District (one seat)

Jim Tate* (R)7,665

Michael David Rogers (D)3,728

*denotes incumbent