Martin Defeats Baker For Forsyth County Commissioner's Seat

Former Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Superintendent Don Martin defeated an incumbent county commissioner to win the Republican nomination for the largely suburban District B seat.

Martin defeated commissioner Mark Baker, earning 54 percent of the vote compared to 46 for Baker.

Martin campaigned using the slogan "Forsyth First." After the votes were counted late Tuesday, Martin explained the idea behind the slogan.

Martin was the superintendent of Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools for 19 years before retiring last year. His tenure with the schools made him one of the most well-known of the county's public servants. Baker, a former Tobaccoville commissioner, was appointed to the county commissioner's seat in late 2012 when Debra Conrad moved on to the state House.

The race was seen by many as a contest between competing views of what the Republican Party should be. Martin had positioned himself as a moderate Republican. Baker portrayed himself as the more conservative choice. No Democrats ran for the seat, so Martin will have no opponents on the ballot in November's general election.