After a two month delay, Republican Mike Fryar was finally sworn in Jan. 9 to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners as the winner in District 2.
A semi-retired race car engine builder and Fairview resident, this was Fryar’s second run for the board of commissioners. He lost a bid in 2008.
Speaking to over a hundred supporters just after being sworn in to office, Fryar said he was humbled.
“It’s a special day for me,” he noted. “A lot of us are from different parties, but we’re all people from Buncombe County.”
Under a new election system, the top vote-getter in each district wins a four year term and the second place finisher wins two years. A hand recount of all the ballots in District 2 showed Fryar claiming the top spot by just 89 votes.
“This was a fantastic race. And it was close,” noted Fryar.
Meanwhile, the count showed Democrat Ellen Frost in second by just 18 votes over Republican Christina Kelley G. Merrill. However, Merrill has filed a series of legal challenges to those results and the board of elections has declined to certify a second place winner pending the outcome. With Fryar sworn in, the board of commissioners now consists of three Republicans and three Democrats.
Watch Fryar’s swearing in ceremony:
Video embedded here via the Buncombe County YouTube channel.
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