JACKSONVILLE, N.C (WNCT) — Things heated up in the N.C. House District 14 Republican Primary election on Tuesday as Wyatt Gable took the victory over longtime seat holder George Cleveland.
Gable, the 21-year-old newcomer, will now run in November’s general election against Democrat candidate Carmen Spicer. The victory ends Cleveland’s 10-term run in the N.C. House. Gable is a current student at East Carolina University and got the idea of running in the election from his experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The election came down to the wire. Gable just got the victory by having 95 more votes than Cleveland, finishing with 51% of the vote. Gable says he’s excited to represent the younger generation seeking to have a voice in the legislature and is ready to make an impact.
“The biggest thing for me was my first year at ECU you didn’t get vaccinated for COVID, which I did not, you had to get tested every week, and if you didn’t get tested, they turned off your ID,” he said.
“I couldn’t get food at the dining hall, things like that, and the real big one like, you know, you have to wear your mask in the bus, class, everywhere you go, but then you can go to the basketball game where there’s 4,000 people and you don’t have to wear one,” Gable said.
Gable pushes an agenda that prioritizes education and builds students for the workforce.
“The biggest thing I want to focus on when I say things like that is you know, preparing students for the real world,” he said. “Like home economics, shop, auto repair, carpentry, things like that in the school system.
“Because you know a lot of people nowadays say if I don’t go to college, I’m not going to amount to anything. Which isn’t the truth. I want to be able to give students the tools so they can succeed in life like that.”
Despite Cleveland’s years in office, Gable said he felt no sense of intimidation.
“You know I felt confident in my ideas and my platform and thought I ran a very good race, so I wasn’t intimidated in any way,” he said. “But you know I think people were ready for a fresh face.”
Gabby Sartori
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