By Staff
In Belhaven, three seek mayor’s post
By MIKE VOSS
Contributing Editor
Casting is complete and the players in the production known as municipal elections are ready.
The filing period for municipal elections ended at noon Friday.
Kellie Harris Hopkins, elections director for Beaufort County, said the two-week filing period was typical of filing periods for municipal elections — a flurry of filings during the last two days.
At the Beaufort County Board of Elections office in Washington, four people showed up during the final hour of the filing period to pay their $10 filing fees and sign documents making them candidates. Among them were two candidates for the Washington City Council, an incumbent seeking re-election to the Washington Park Board of Commissioners and a mayoral candidate in Belhaven.
Faye Martin, elections director in Martin County, said her office also experienced a filing flurry Friday.
There was no last-minute rush to file for office in Washington County.
Beaufort County
Washington Mayor Judy Meier Jennette, in her first term as mayor, is unopposed in her re-election bid.
There will be at least one new face on the City Council come December. Veteran Councilman Ed Gibson opted not to seek a 10th term on the council. All five seats on the council are available.
Incumbents Mickey Gahagan, Darwin Woolard, Archie Jennings and Richard Brooks are seeking to return to the City Council. Former council member Doug Mercer, Gil Davis, Doris “Dot” Moate, John B. Tate III and Tom Atkins are seeking seats on the council.
In Belhaven, voters will elect a mayor and three aldermen, two from the East District and one from the West District.
Incumbent Mayor Adam O’Neal is being challenged by Charles O. Boyette, a current alderman and former mayor, and Rosemarie Ballance.
In the West District, Robert L. Stanley is a candidate for the one seat available in that district. He is challenging incumbent Albert “Al” Baker.
In the East District, incumbent Cynthia M. Heath, J. Nelson Guy, Mac Pigott, Walt Allen and Karen Fisher are vying for the two open seats.
In Aurora, two seats on the four-member council are up for grabs.
Incumbent Commissioner George Jones is seeking re-election. John L. Weeks, Michael “Jimbo” Ireland and Maechal “Mike” Patterson are in the race.
Bath Mayor James G. “Jimmy” Latham is seeking re-election.
This year, Bath voters will elect two commissioners who will serve two-year terms and two commissioners will serve four-year terms. When the two-year terms of commissioners elected this year are up, those terms on the Bath Board of Commissioners become four-year terms. That will result in commissioners serving staggered terms.
Jay Hardin and Marty Fulton are running for the two two-year seats on the board.
Incumbents Rob Jenner and John A. Taylor are running for the two four-year seats on the board.
In Chocowinity, incumbents Arlene Jones and M.L. Dunbar are seeking re-election to the board of commissioners.
Pantego voters will mark ballots for a mayor and five commissioners.
Incumbent Mayor Glenda A. Jackson is unopposed in her re-election bid.
Each of the incumbent commissioners — Robert F. Edwards, Frances Foreman, Richard S. Craig, Stuart Ricks and Mart Benson — will be on the ballot this fall.
Washington Park Mayor Tom Richter faces no opposition in his re-election bid.
Four of the five incumbents on the board of commissioners — Jeff Peacock, Don Wilkinson, Zane G. Buckman and Horace B. Cowell — are seeking to keep their seats on the board. Dennie Dale is also seeking a seat. Incumbent Stacey Shepherd did not file for re-election.
Martin County
In Martin County, eight of the nine municipalities have elections.
In Everetts, the mayor’s post and three seats on the town’s board of commissioners are open.
Incumbent commissioners Becky Williams and Ben. A Jones are seeking re-election.
The five seats on the board of commissioners in Hamilton are open, as is the mayor’s seat.
Incumbent Mayor Gil Matthews is seeking re-election. Incumbent commissioners Herbert L. Everett, Ervin Williams, and John Scott Jr. are running to keep their seats. Brian Thomas and Rachel Ward Armstong also are seeking seats on the board.
In Hassell, the mayor’s post and five seats on the board of commissioners are up for grabs.
Incumbent Mayor Dennis C. Briley wants voters to return him to office. Incumbent commissioners Greta Cofield, Hattie C. Smallwood, Mildred B. Briley, Archie B. Hardison and Reid Thomas are seeking re-election.
In Jamesville, the five seats on the board of commissioners and the mayor’s seat are open.
Incumbent Mayor Jane Wolfe is running for re-election, as are incumbent commissioners Jim Williams, Molly Ann Long, Willis E. Williams and Elaine Hardison Roberson. Dennis Dale Anton also is seeking a seat on the board.
The five seats on the board of commissioners and the mayor’s post are open in Oak City.
Incumbent Mayor Barbara Cotten is asking voters to return her to office. Incumbent commissioners Joe R. Ayers, Clinton Powell, William Stalls, Brenda Baker Johnson are seeking re-election. Also seeking seats on the board are Dinah Bunting Gradis, Mike Harrell, Chris Shelton, Daniel Higgs, Patrice Rosario, Eddie Brown and Douglas W. Cannon.
Parmele voters get to mark ballots for a mayor and three commissioners.
Incumbent Mayor Lula H. Council is running for re-election. She faces opposition from Henry R. Wilson. Incumbent commissioners Adline Carr and Lylia Adams are seeking to keep their seats on the board of commissioners. Walter Willet and Richard Andrews also are seeking seats on the board.
In Robersonville, voters will elect a mayor, two council members to represent District 1, two council members to represent District 2 and an at-large council member.
Incumbent Mayor Frank Measamer is running for re-election.
In District 1, where voters get to vote for two council candidates, incumbents Eugene B. Roberson Jr. and Edward Casper are seeking re-election. They are challenged by James Russell Wallace and Bradley C. Sommerer.
District 2 voters also get to mark their ballots for two council candidates. Incumbent council members Ivana T. Ward and Nora Daniels are seeking re-election.
John David Jenkins Jr., the incumbent, is seeking re-election as the council’s at-large member.
Williamston voters will mark their ballots for a mayor and five council members — two from District 1, two from District 2 and an at-large member.
Incumbent Mayor Tommy Roberson is seeking re-election. He is being opposed by James E. Leathers Jr.
In District 1, incumbent council members John Samuel “Sonny” Falk and Junious Joel Horton are seeking re-election. Brenda Turner is seeking one of the District 1 seats on the council.
In District 2, incumbent Al R. Chesson and Jerry Knox are seeking to represent that district on the council.
Incumbent Herman B. Daniels is seeking to retain his at-large seat on the council.
Washington County
Plymouth Mayor Brian Roth is seeking re-election.
In Ward 1, where two seats are available, incumbents Vicki Sawyer and Shirley Barnes are seeking re-election the Plymouth Town Council.
Incumbents Gregory S. Boston and Shelton W. McNair Sr. are seeking to represent Ward 2 on the council. William E. “Gene” Roberts is also seeking one of the two seats open for grabs in that ward.
Mary D. Nixon and Mary Ann Byers, both incumbents from Ward 3, are seeking re-election to the council.
Roper voters will pick a mayor and three commissioners this fall.
Incumbent Mayor Bunny Sanders is seeking re-election.
Two seats on the four-member council are available this election cycle. Jack Horton, Wade Styons and Jimmy Walker are the candidates for those two seats. Styons is an incumbent.
In Creswell, the mayor’s seat and two seats on the board of commissioners are available this election cycle.
W.J. “Bill” White Jr. is the incumbent mayor seeking re-election. Syble Spruill and Gerald Woodley, incumbents on the board of commissioners are running for re-election. Nancy Melton is seeking a seat on the board.
Dates, deadlines
In Beaufort, Martin and Washington counties, Oct. 12 is the deadline to register to vote in the general elections. In those counties, one-stop voting begins Oct. 18 and concludes at 1 p.m. Nov. 3. Absentee voting by mail begins Oct. 5.
Hyde County has no municipal elections.
In Washington County, Roper voters follow a different election schedule than voters in Plymouth or Creswell.
Election Day in Roper is Oct. 9. A runoff, if needed, would be held Nov. 6.
People must be registered by Sept. 14 to vote in the Oct. 9 election. Absentee voting by mail begins Sept. 7 and concludes at 1 p.m. Oct. 6.
One-stop, no-excuse voting begins Sept. 20 and ends at 1 p.m. the last Saturday (Oct. 6) before the election.
Several rules apply to primaries or elections, no matter when conducted.
The last day to request an absentee ballot is one week before any primary or election. The request must be received by a county’s board of elections by 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before the primary or election. Absentee ballots must be returned to a county’s board of elections by 5 p.m. on the day before a primary or election. Absentee ballots must be delivered by mail, commercial courier service or in person.
Boards of elections canvass ballots seven days after a primary or election.