ROME TOWNSHIP — First time office seeker, Matt Ward, was the top vote getter in the race for Fairland Board of Education that brought out eight candidates for three seats.

Ward, a BB&T investment counselor, saw the budget as Fairland’s No. 1 priority as the district faces state cuts.

Ward, who has a son in Fairland East, received 1,212 votes or just over 20 percent of the total 5,930 cast.

Coming in second was one-time college professor Martin Appleton who has unsuccessfully tried to get a seat on the board in two previous elections. This time Appleton got 1,008 votes or 17 percent.

Joining Appleton and Ward in January will be Gary Sowards, one of two incumbents who ran on Tuesday. This will be the second term for Sowards who received 941 votes.

The other incumbent running was Lester Brumfield Jr., who came in fifth this time with 629 votes.

In a separate election Jason Gorby ran for the unexpired term once held by David Judd. Gorby, who was appointed to the board in September 2008, pulled in 1,535 votes.