The filing period for candidates kicks off Monday at noon for what should be a very busy election year.
Voters in McDowell will be asked to make their choices for County Commission, the School Board, Register of Deeds, the N.C. House of Representatives and the N.C. Senate. The 11th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives is up for election, too. Like the rest of North Carolina, voters here will be asked to select a governor and a lieutenant governor. And of course, there is the presidential election.
The filing period for candidates starts at noon Monday and ends at noon Wednesday, Feb. 29. The McDowell Board of Elections office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
To become a candidate, you have to pay a filing fee. It is based on 1 percent of the annual salary for the elected office.
For County Commission, two seats are up for grabs this year. They are now held by Andy Webb and Barry McPeters, both Republicans. The filing fee for the commission race is $99.58.
Five seats on the McDowell County Board of Education are up for election, too. They are the Old Fort seat, held by Patrick Ellis, and the North Cove seat, held by Terry English. Three Marion seats are also up for grabs. They are held by Mark Cauthen, Kay Sinclair and Randy Williams. The filing fee to run for School Board is $5. The races are non-partisan.
The Register of Deeds office is also up for election. Jane McGee, a Democrat, is the incumbent. Candidates have to pay a filing fee of $448.14 because it is a full-time job.
In the General Assembly, the 85th House District seat will be up for election. The district includes all of McDowell and parts of Burke. Mitch Gillespie, a Republican, holds the seat.
For the N.C. Senate, McDowell is part of the 47th Senate District. It also includes Avery, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell and Yancey. Ralph Hise, a Republican, is the current state senator for this district.
Candidates for both the N.C. House and the N.C. Senate have to pay a filing fee of $207.
Those who wish to run for the U.S. House of Representatives’ 11th District Seat have to file at the state Board of Elections in Raleigh, said Elections Director Kim Welborn.
In addition, a Superior Court judgeship, now held by Judge Laura “Suzy” Bridges, is up for election this year. The judgeship is for Judicial District 29A, which covers McDowell and Rutherford counties. The race is non-partisan.
A variety of state offices will be up for grabs, including governor and lieutenant governor. And President Obama will be up for re-election this year for another four-year term.
The primary elections will be held on May 8 and the general election is set for Nov. 6.
For more information, call the McDowell County Board of Elections at 652-7121, ext. 342.
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