Forsyth County Board of Education member Tom Cleveland was well on his way to defeating challenger Barry Herrin in the June 9 primary for the Republican nomination for his seat representing District 3.

With 100% of in-person ballots tallied, Cleveland had 79.98% of the vote (1,910), well ahead of Herrin’s 20.02% (478), although election officials are still counting a record-number of absentee ballots, which could take days, they said.

Who he is: A tech consultant, Cleveland is a member of several community groups and organizations and has served on the Forsyth County Board of Education for 16 years.

How he reacted: Cleveland could not be reached for comment early Wednesday.

On the issues: Cleveland campaigned on continuing the school district’s work addressing students’ social-emotional needs, ensuring students are prepared to “be a part of the future workforce” and emphasizing engaging instruction in the classroom. 

What’s next: With no Democratic challenger, Cleveland will begin his next term in January.