Democratic Party Replaces School Board Candidate Who Defended Registered Sex Offender on Campaign Team

The New Hanover County Democratic Party voted Tuesday to place Margie Gewirtzman on the November general election ballot for the Board of Education, filling the vacancy left by Rick Southerland's withdrawal last month. Southerland dropped out of the race just two days after winning a spot in the general election when the public learned his roommate and campaign team member, James Osborne, is a registered sex offender convicted of possessing child pornography.

Gewirtzman, who finished fifth in the March 3 Democratic primary, won the nomination by a single vote over Kristina Mercier, a former educator who did not run in the primary but applied for consideration as Southerland's replacement. The razor-thin margin underscores how close the party came to losing a viable candidate in a race Democrats are targeting to flip control of the school board.

"To the voters: your involvement keeps our democracy strong," Gewirtzman wrote in a statement. "Our focus now shifts to November. I look forward to seeing our party unite as we take the skills we've sharpened during this extended primary and turn them toward flipping this Board of Education."

The Southerland Scandal

Southerland's exit came after Port City Daily revealed his close association with Osborne, who was convicted in 2021 on one count of possessing child pornography. Rather than distance himself from Osborne, Southerland initially defended the relationship and apologized only for not disclosing Osborne's criminal record to voters. Both men have claimed the conviction was wrongful, asserting Osborne obtained the illegal images while searching for footage of his own childhood abuse in 2020.

The scandal deepened when Osborne was arrested on federal voter fraud charges for casting ballots in both the 2024 general election and the 2025 primary while serving a criminal sentence. Under North Carolina law, individuals on probation for felony convictions are ineligible to vote. Osborne was on probation at the time he voted.

Southerland's refusal to acknowledge the political liability of employing a sex offender on his campaign ultimately forced his withdrawal and triggered the replacement process.

Vetting Failures and Party Response

The controversy has prompted the New Hanover County Democratic Party to overhaul its candidate vetting procedures. Party Chair Jill Hopman told Port City Daily the organization is implementing expanded background checks and disclosure requirements to prevent similar scandals in future election cycles.

"We are so excited to nominate Margie," Hopman said, praising Gewirtzman's experience as a precinct officer and her advocacy for her three special needs children in New Hanover County Schools. "She has passionately advocated for her own family over the past 18 years, just like she will advocate for our teachers and students across New Hanover County when she is elected in November."

Hopman acknowledged the one-vote margin between Gewirtzman and Mercier demonstrates "the critical importance of every single vote in every single election." The close vote suggests some party members questioned whether a primary candidate who finished fifth should automatically receive the nomination over other qualified applicants.

What's at Stake

Democrats are targeting the New Hanover County Board of Education as part of a broader effort to counter what Hopman called "four years of MAGA extremism" on the board. The party sees the school board race as critical to flipping New Hanover County, which has trended Republican in recent cycles despite Democratic gains in urban areas.

Gewirtzman enters the general election with existing campaign infrastructure from her primary run and a base of support among parents of students with disabilities. Her nomination allows Democrats to move past the Southerland debacle and refocus on education policy issues, including teacher pay, school funding, and special education services.

The November election will test whether voters are willing to overlook the party's vetting failure or whether the Southerland scandal will continue to haunt Democratic candidates down the ballot. For now, the party is betting that Gewirtzman's personal story and advocacy credentials will outweigh the lingering questions about how a convicted sex offender ended up working on a Democratic school board campaign in the first place.