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Ervin Bateman, a Dare County commissioner, has switched political parties and is now a registered Republican. He switched from Democrat in January.

“I’ve always been conservative in business and conservative in lifestyle,” said Bateman in a telephone interview. He said he had registered to vote as a Democrat at the same time he registered for the draft.

“It was time for a change,” remarked the commissioner. “I’ve wrestled with it for a long, long time.”

Bateman, who holds the at-large seat on the board, said “I’ve worked for the people of Dare County. I represent everyone.”

He will run for reelection in 2022. “I want to continue this job.”

He pointed to the programs in progress that were part of his last campaign.

He stated that Dare County lost 14 people to opioids last year. To address the opioid crisis, a recovery court was started. “I started that with [Commissioner Wally] Overman and Judge Tillett.”

Bateman is working on expanding Dare Challenge from a 15-person program to 35 people.

The board is addressing essential housing.

Under construction is a new academic building for College of The Albemarle and a new Dare County Guarantee Scholarship that covers the community college bill for a Dare high school graduate.

“All these things link together. Education is the key to everything,” said Bateman.

With Bateman’s switch, the Dare County Board of Commissioners has six Republicans and one Democrat, Danny Couch.

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