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Rick Mercier
Rick Mercier ran for election for an at-large seat of the Johnston County Schools Board of Education in North Carolina. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Mercier completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Rick Mercier was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in 1988 and an M.A. in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. Mercier also studied at Duke University Divinity School. His career experience includes working in communications and journalism.[1][2]
Elections
2022
See also: Johnston County Schools, North Carolina, elections (2022)
General election
General election for Johnston County Schools Board of Education At-large (3 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Johnston County Schools Board of Education At-large on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Terry Tippett (Nonpartisan) | 22.0 | 36,739 | |
| ✔ | Kevin Donovan (Nonpartisan) | 18.3 | 30,544 | |
| ✔ | Michelle Antoine (Nonpartisan) | 17.8 | 29,857 | |
| Melissa Bowers (Nonpartisan) | 14.4 | 24,075 | ||
 | Rick Mercier (Nonpartisan)  | 13.5 | 22,539 | |
| Mark Lane (Nonpartisan) | 13.3 | 22,220 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.8 | 1,345 | ||
| Total votes: 167,319 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Johnston County Schools Board of Education At-large (3 seats)
The following candidates ran in the primary for Johnston County Schools Board of Education At-large on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Terry Tippett (Nonpartisan) | 17.3 | 12,472 | |
| ✔ | Kevin Donovan (Nonpartisan) | 15.7 | 11,263 | |
| ✔ | Michelle Antoine (Nonpartisan) | 14.0 | 10,040 | |
| ✔ | | Rick Mercier (Nonpartisan) | 9.4 | 6,737 |
| ✔ | Mark Lane (Nonpartisan) | 8.8 | 6,339 | |
| ✔ | Melissa Bowers (Nonpartisan) | 7.3 | 5,271 | |
| Stuart Ashby Lee (Nonpartisan) | 5.3 | 3,836 | ||
| Joe Preston (Nonpartisan) | 5.2 | 3,741 | ||
| Aldostin Byrd (Nonpartisan) | 4.0 | 2,904 | ||
| Jenn Gurley (Nonpartisan) | 3.9 | 2,791 | ||
| Jennifer Slabaugh (Nonpartisan) | 3.9 | 2,778 | ||
| George M. Brewer (Nonpartisan) | 2.8 | 1,995 | ||
| John Fischer (Nonpartisan) | 2.4 | 1,750 | ||
| Total votes: 71,917 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
See also: Johnston County Schools, North Carolina, elections (2020)
General election
General election for Johnston County Schools Board of Education At-large (4 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Johnston County Schools Board of Education At-large on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ronald Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 16.6 | 53,011 | |
| ✔ | Lyn Andrews (Nonpartisan) | 15.1 | 48,086 | |
| ✔ | Kay Carroll (Nonpartisan) | 13.5 | 43,002 | |
| ✔ | Mike Wooten (Nonpartisan) | 13.1 | 41,821 | |
| Terry Tippett (Nonpartisan) | 12.6 | 40,174 | ||
 | Teresa Grant (Nonpartisan) | 11.2 | 35,790 | |
 | Chuck Williams (Nonpartisan) | 9.6 | 30,606 | |
| Rick Mercier (Nonpartisan) | 7.6 | 24,265 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.6 | 1,903 | ||
| Total votes: 318,658 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Johnston County Schools Board of Education At-large (4 seats)
The following candidates ran in the primary for Johnston County Schools Board of Education At-large on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ronald Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 13.4 | 16,263 | |
| ✔ | Lyn Andrews (Nonpartisan) | 10.8 | 13,124 | |
| ✔ | Kay Carroll (Nonpartisan) | 10.0 | 12,174 | |
| ✔ | Mike Wooten (Nonpartisan) | 8.8 | 10,702 | |
| ✔ | | Chuck Williams (Nonpartisan) | 8.0 | 9,717 |
| ✔ | Terry Tippett (Nonpartisan) | 6.8 | 8,264 | |
| ✔ | | Teresa Grant (Nonpartisan) | 6.7 | 8,131 |
| ✔ | | Rick Mercier (Nonpartisan) | 5.6 | 6,866 |
| Mark Lane (Nonpartisan) | 5.6 | 6,767 | ||
| Ava Atkinson Gaines (Nonpartisan) | 4.7 | 5,710 | ||
| Carolyn Cash (Nonpartisan) | 3.8 | 4,642 | ||
 | Kenon Crumble (Nonpartisan) | 3.6 | 4,350 | |
| Kelly O'Hanlon-Peedin (Nonpartisan) | 3.4 | 4,184 | ||
 | Melynda Slay (Nonpartisan) | 3.1 | 3,760 | |
| Michelle Antoine (Nonpartisan) | 3.1 | 3,732 | ||
| Yvonne Marlowe (Nonpartisan) | 2.8 | 3,414 | ||
| Total votes: 121,800 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Rick Mercier completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mercier's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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My background is in print journalism and local government. I served as editor of The Clayton News-Star from 2007 until 2010 while also occasionally reporting for Agence France-Presse. I have lived in Japan and Taiwan and have reported from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean during my career. While in Japan, I taught English in middle schools.
Since 2010, I’ve worked for the Town of Garner as its public information officer and now communications manager. I serve on the board of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition and am former vice president of North Carolina City and County Communicators.
I currently serve on the Smithfield-Selma High School Parent Advisory Council and am a member of the PTA at Innovation Academy at South Campus. I am also a member of the Partnership for Children of Johnston County’s Read to Grow Summer Learning Loss Action Committee.
In addition, I have volunteered in Wake County Public Schools, at Community of Hope Ministries in Garner and with the Towne Players of Garner community theater group.- We need to end the drama and divisions, and we need to put politics aside and keep the focus on our kids.
- We have to continue to improve student achievement and growth, with a special strategic focus on early literacy in K-3.
- We should have adequate funding for operational and capital needs, including teacher and staff pay and new school construction.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2020
Rick Mercier completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mercier's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I have worked in local government for the past nine and a half years. I've been a part of leadership teams that produce balanced budgets that don't result in shortfalls and don't drain fund balance. I've been in the room when elected officials have to make tough decisions. I've been part of a competent and honest leadership team.
Before entering local government with the Town of Garner, I had been in print journalism and teaching since the mid-1990s. I was an assistant teacher in public schools in Japan. My work as a journalist appeared in dozens of publications in the U.S. and other parts of the world. I was a columnist, news editor and staff writer for The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, Va., and served in editor roles at the Taipei Times and Anniston (Ala.) Star. Prior to joining the Town of Garner, I was editor of The Clayton News-Star (when it was still family-owned) and the North Carolina stringer for Agence France-Presse.
I currently serve as vice president of N.C. City and County Communicators and am a board member of the N.C. Open Government Coalition. For the past several years, I have coached and mentored All-America City finalist communities as they work to win the All-America City Award.- Johnston County Public Schools must get on a solid fiscal footing.
- We must be committed high student achievement with a focus on equity issues.
- We must plan for our long-term school construction and renovation needs-in cooperation with the county.
Responsible long-term budget planning for both annual operational and multiyear capital needs.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
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Candidate Johnston County Schools Board of Education At-large |
Personal |
Footnotes
