Brian Harris wins as write-in candidate Dare Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor race

The only local election without an official result was decided over the weekend with the announcement that Hatteras Island resident Brian Harris had won the Dare Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor race in the 2024 General Election.

The Dare County Soil and Water race was a write-in only race, which is rare when it comes to elections, and it requires hand-counting after all votes have been collected. The overall process can take 1-3 weeks, which includes any extra time to ensure there are no unexpected issues or complications.

The contest had 4,174 write-in responses, with 2,575 of the votes going to Harris.

The Dare Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor serves on a five-member board that provides citizen overview and direction for the Dare Soil and Water Conservation District. The board includes both elected officials and members appointed by the current board, with final approval given by the state’s Soil & Water Conservation Commission.

The mission of the Dare County Soil & Water Conservation District is to protect and enhance soil and water quality. The district works closely with county, state and federal entities in a non-regulatory capacity in order to carry out a comprehensive conservation program that protects and improves the county’s natural resources.

This partnership addresses problems in Dare County such as soil erosion, flood damage, and water quality issues.

Harris currently serves as a board member for the new-in-2024 Buxton Civic Association (BCA) and said in an earlier interview that it was his ongoing work with the BCA to remediate a closed and contaminated section of Buxton Beach that inspired him to run.

“I’m not doing this to solely help Buxton, but the past seven months have shed a lot of light on some major issues on Hatteras Island and a lack of commitment to the unincorporated towns of Dare County,” said Harris. “We [the BCA] have dealt with tons of red tape on federal and state levels, and we managed to do that in a respectable way that led to discussion with multiple federal, state, and local leaders.”

Harris also said that he looked forward to meeting the other board members in the near future. “They have done numerous great things across Dare County and I’m really curious about their future projects and the oyster reef projects they continue to pursue.”