Army veteran Michael Cunningham defeated Navy veteran Todd Meier by a margin of nearly 2-1 in Isle of Wight County’s Nov. 2 Hardy District School Board race.

Alvin Wilson, who resigned from the position last week, had already planned not to seek a new term, leaving Cunningham and Meier vying for the seat. Cunningham received roughly 61% of the vote to Meier’s 37% out of 2,711 ballots cast. There were 33 write-ins, accounting for just over 1% of the total votes.

“I’m ready to do what I’ve got to do to help the county out … I appreciate everything the citizens of the Hardy District have done to put me in this position,” Cunningham said upon learning of the unofficial results.

He then pledged to serve the citizens of the Hardy District as a “true independent” without leaning toward any particular political party.

Meier congratulated Cunningham.

“I congratulate him and look forward to seeing what he does on the board,” Meier said.

Wilson resigned from the School Board in late October, two months ahead of the Dec. 31 end of his current term. At a special called meeting of the School Board Nov. 8, Cunningham was appointed by a unanimous three votes to essentially take his seat early by filling out the remainder of Wilson’s term.