After six years in the minority, Democrats wrested control of the Wake County Board of Commissioners from Republicans on Tuesday.

Three women -- Jacqueline Brewer, Christine Walczyk and Anna E. Worley -- earned spots on Wake County's District Court benches, beating out their male opponents in Tuesday's election.

Democrats make no headway on county board.

In Chatham County, where local politicians can get into heated arguments about the direction new development should take, voters went to the polls Tuesday to elect two county commissioners and two school board members and the growth path that the candidates promise.

The Johnston County school board will have a Republican majority after an election that brought its largest turnover in more than a decade.

Incumbent Alonzo Coleman Jr. and newcomer Page Vernon won contested judicial races Tuesday for District Court seats that cover Orange and Chatham counties.

District Court Judge George Murphy has lost the district court seat he held for six years to Paul A. Holcombe.

For most of the past decade, the Johnston school board has sailed a sea of relative unanimity, with at least a four-member majority marching in lock-step as the growing district built schools, hired teachers and basked in rising test scores.

Can't wait until Election Day to cast your ballot? You can vote early.

Durham voters elected Leigh Bordley to the district's school board Tuesday in a runoff. Meanwhile, in an Orange County race for a seat on the county board of commissioners, Steve Yuhasz wins.

The debate was tense over whether a publicly financed election would really level the playing field for candidates in municipal contests.

Wake County Briefs: After counting provisional ballots Tuesday, Johnston County election officials determined that Glenn McLamb of Benson was the winner of a tight Democratic primary in the District 4 county commissioner race.