Waddell defeats Gatson for District 46 seat | News

RALEIGH, NC (WECT) – Chadbourn Mayor Kenneth Waddell has won a seat in the North Carolina General Assembly.

Waddell, a Democrat, defeated incumbent Republican Gaston Pridgen of Fairmont to win the House 46 seat by capturing 54% of the vote. The unofficial total had Waddell winning 17,981 – 15,305.

Redistricting by the General Assembly changed the lines of District 46. Pridgen won the seat in 2010 when it covered parts of Robeson, Hoke and Scotland counties. The new district lines covers parts of Robeson, Bladen and all of Columbus counties, giving Waddell an advantage.

A breakdown of the race shows Waddell won his home county 14,312 – 9,378. Pridgen did win in Robeson by about two thousand votes, not enough to rebound from the Columbus disadvantage.

Waddell will join the General Assembly as another Columbus County lawmaker, Dewey Hill, leaves Raleigh after nearly two decades of service. Hill decided not to run for re-election.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved.