Election Filing Begins Dec. 1

Filing for local, state and U.S. Congress primary races begins Dec. 1.

The March 3 party primaries will determine who will be on the November General Election Ballot. If a party does not provide a candidate or a winner in the primary, the unopposed candidate is the de facto winner in the fall.

The county positions on the March 3 ballot are sheriff; Clerk of Superior Court; County Commissioners in Districts 1, 6 and 7; and County Board of Education Districts 2, 3 and 4.

Statewide, candidates for the House and Senate in the General Assembly are on the ballot, along with District Attorney; District, Superior and Appeals Court judges; Associate Justice for the state Supreme Court; U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate.

Candidates for all local offices, as well as the state House and Senate, file at the local Board of Elections office. Candidates for all other seats file in Raleigh at the State Board of Elections.

The State Board of Elections reminds all candidates that surrogate filings are no longer allowed. Candidates must appear in person or mail in a signed, certified application in accordance with state law.

Locally, hopefuls in one race have been campaigning hard since September.

Four candidates have declared that they are running for sheriff. Appointed Sheriff Bill Rogers replaced Jody Greene weeks after Greene’s reelection. Rogers face challenges from Chadbourn Police Chief Ken Elliot; former CCSO Capt. Kevin Norris; and Josh McPherson, who was a deputy who worked his way up to lieutenant and led Animal Protective Services, among other assignments. McPherson resigned after he was abruptly reassigned to be a bailiff at a lower rank.

All four are running for the Republican nomination. The Democrat party has not announced a candidate or the primary race for sheriff.

All four candidates have signs up throughout the county, and have been appearing at various events and meet-and-greet events. A number of voters in the municipal election earlier this month were confused and thought the sheriff was on the ballot.

Several U.S. races are also shaping up and have been since well before filing deadline.

Don Brown is challenging Michael Whatley for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. Whatley is a former state Republican Party leader who endorsed himself for the run. Brown is an attorney and a veteran from the central part of the state. Former Gov. Rov Cooper has no competition for the Democrat nomination for Senate. After several disputes with President Donald Trump, Republican Senator Thom Tillis announced earlier this year that he will not seek reelection.