Warren Judge announces he will seek Tine’s House seat

Dare County Commissioner Warren Judge of Kitty Hawk has announced his candidacy for the North Carolina House of Representatives District 6 seat being vacated by Paul Tines.

Judge, a Democrat, was the long-time chairman of the seven-member board until Republicans took control in last November’s general election.

Tine ran as a Democrat last November, but switched to unaffiliated shortly after the election.  He has announced he will not run again when his term expires in 2017.

 “I am running for State House because I firmly believe our state must do better,” Judge said in a news release. “We need more good paying jobs here in Eastern North Carolina. We need a renewed focus on economic development, not just in Charlotte and Raleigh, but in communities like ours. And we need to invest in our public schools, community colleges and universities so that our children graduate prepared for the jobs of the future and can stand toe-to-toe with students from any university, any state or any country. ”

He added, “Throughout my career I have been proud to work with Democrats, Republicans and Independents to get things done. I am proud of all that we have accomplished together during my time on the County Commission. We built new schools and invested in our people to be sure they had access to a better tomorrow.”

House District 6 includes Dare, Hyde, Washington, and part of Beaufort County.

Judge, 64, said he will serve out his term on the Dare County Commission through 2016.

Judge has been active in the community, serving on the College of the Albemarle Board of Trustees and the Coastal Studies Institute Board of Directors. He has been active as a member of the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce, the Outer Banks Sporting Events organization, and the Dare County Arts Council. He is a life time member of the First Flight Society. 

Judge joins several other candidates who have already stated their intention to seek Tine’s open seat.

One is Ashley Woolard, a Republican from Beaufort County, who lost to Mattie Lawson in the 2014 Republican primary for that seat. Tine defeated Lawson in the general election. The other is Democrat and Manteo resident Judy Justice, who told the Outer Banks Sentinel she is also entering the race.