Two political newcomers have earned seats on the Ahoskie Town Council while an incumbent will return, according to the unofficial results of Tuesday’s municipal election.

Incumbent Linda Blackburn, the town’s former mayor who was appointed to the Council’s At-Large seat last year to fill the unexpired term of O.S. “Buck” Suiter Jr., edged past Charles Reynolds to return to office. Blackburn was named on 363 ballots (55.25% of the vote) compared to 291 for Reynolds.

Blackburn used a 249-87 edge in the Ahoskie 1 precinct to carry her over the top. She edged Reynolds 44-29 in Ahoskie 2. Reynolds carried the Ahoskie 3 precinct, earning 152 votes compared to 50 for Blackburn. The remainder of the vote totals for the two candidates came from early voting and absentee ballots.

She will be joined on the council by two new faces.

In the Ward A race, former Hertford County High School DECA teacher Charles Freeman (288 votes; 76.4%) easily defeated current HCHS principal James Futrell, who was named on 89 ballots.

Freeman, who built his winning margin by a landslide in the Ahoskie 1 precinct (267 votes compared to 75 for Futrell), will take the seat of current Ahoskie Councilman Malcolm Copeland who chose not to seek reelection.

The Ward B race saw incumbent Winfred Hardy, the county’s former Sheriff, ousted by the Rev. C. David Stackhouse, pastor of New Ahoskie Baptist Church. Stackhouse collected 178 votes (60.34%) compared to 100 for Hardy and 17 for local businessman Donald Kirkland.

Stackhouse won both precincts in Ward B – Ahoskie 2 (38 votes for the winner compared to 15 for Hardy and 11 for Kirkland) and Ahoskie 3 (130 for Stackhouse; 70 for Hardy; and 4 for Kirkland). The remainder of the vote totals for the three candidates came from early voting and absentee ballots.

All votes are unofficial until the Hertford County Board of Elections conducts a canvass next week of all polling places.

Two Ahoskie Council members – Elaine Myers (Ward A) and Maurice Vann (Ward B) – were not on this year’s ballot after being elected to four-year terms in 2011.