There will be one new face on the Rowan-Salisbury School Board of Education following the results of Tuesday’s election. Meanwhile, two incumbents retained their seats.

On Tuesday, seats 3, 5 and 7 were up for grabs. 

During the election, seat 5 saw the most action, with three candidates squaring off for the position. Dr. Rebecca Childs, Jonathan Barbee and Bryan Wymbs competed for the district, which, while voted for on an at-large basis, is designated to represent Salisbury. Every seat on the school board is elected at large by the entire county.

After the dust settled, Barbee won by the narrowest of margins. His 22,747 votes bested Childs’ 22,708. Wymbs followed up with a distant third, capturing 10,491 votes. Barbee’s vote total represented 40.31 percent of the electorate. Meanwhile, Childs secured 40.24 percent of the vote. Four hundred and eighty-one miscellaneous write-in votes were tallied. 

The Southeast District saw incumbent Dr. Lynn Marsh face a challenge from political newcomer McKenzie Kelly. 

Marsh brought home 30,499 votes from across the county. That vote tally represents 56.32 percent of the electorate. Kelly, who was running in her first-ever school board race, captured 23,141 votes, or 42.73 percent of the vote. 513 miscellaneous write-in votes were cast. 

Incumbent Kathy McDuffie Sanborn faced no challenge to retain her seat that represents the East District. McDuffie Sanborn took over the seat in 2023 after former board member Brian Hightower stepped down. McDuffie Sanborn is currently the vice chair of the board. A total of 960 write-in votes were cast in that race.

Election results are unofficial until confirmed.