Republicans took control of the North Carolina Board of Elections on Thursday. State Auditor David Boliek appointed three new Republican members, giving the GOP a majority on the five-member board.
Republicans in the General Assembly passed a law late last year shifting appointment power from the governor — now Democrat Josh Stein — to the state auditor, who is now a Republican. That moved them closer to a long-standing goal of taking control of the elections board.
After the state Court of Appeals on Wednesday allowed the law to stand, Boliek quickly named three Republican appointees.
Stacey Eggers IV, a current board member, will remain. Former Mecklenburg state Sen. Bob Rucho and Francis De Luca, a former president of the conservative think tank Civitas Institute, were also appointed.
The state Democratic Party, which has criticized the move as a hostile takeover, has also nominated individuals for the remaining two seats. Boliek will pick from the party’s list.
The makeup of county elections boards will also change, shifting from a 3-2 Democratic majority today to a 3-2 Republican majority.
It’s possible the new GOP-led board could also replace elections board Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell, who was appointed by former Gov. Roy Cooper. And the board still has one outstanding race to certify: the undecided contest for a state Supreme Court seat.
