Tyrrell County Democrats gave Allen Thomas, former Greenville mayor, 57.8% (120 votes) to 20.1% (43 votes) for Richard Bew and less than 10% each to four other aspirants in the April 30 special primary election to fill the seat left vacant by the death last February of Republican Rep. Walter Jones.

Thomas won the race district-wide with 50% (12,912 votes), Bew received 25.22% (6,511), Dana Outlaw 12.62% (3,258), and the other three Democrats less than 10% each.

In the Republican primary Tyrrell voters gave the nod to Eric Rouse with 56 votes, followed by Greg Murphy with 38, Jeff Moore 16, Celeste Cairns 11, Joan Perry 10, and the other 12 GOP aspirants with fewer than 10 votes each.

State Rep. Murphy of Greenville and Perry, a Kinston pediatrician, advanced to the Republican runoff primary scheduled for July 9. The runoff is necessary because the leading aspirant received less than 30% of the total GOP vote.

Murphy garnered 22.5% (9,507 votes) across the 17-county district, Perry got 15.4% (6,515), Phil Shepard 12%, (5,082), and the 14 other Republicans less than 10% each.

One Libertarian went to the polls in Tyrrell County, and Tim Harris got that vote. Harris won the Libertarian primary throughout the district with 55.9% (75 votes) to Shannon W. Bray’s 44.1% (59).

Voter turnout in Tyrrell County was 18.6%, with 408 of 2,197 voters casting ballots. Across the 17-county district turnout was 14.5% with 68,593 out of 473,561 voters going to the polls.