Washington Park residents will see at least two new faces on that town’s Board of Commissioners after the elections in November.

Those faces could belong to Brian Wood, Wade Dale or Christie Potts — unless someone mounts a successful write-in campaign. Commissioner James Pagnani chose not to seek re-election. Incumbent commissioners Jeff Peacock, Lee Bowen and Patrick Nash are seeking re-election.

Dale and Potts entered the race for the five open seats on the five-member board after the death of Don L. Wilkinson Sr. on Aug. 12. Wilkinson, a commissioner for 16 years, had filed for re-election prior to his death. His death triggered the reopening of the filing period for candidate for the town’s board.

Dale filed Monday. Potts filed Friday.

Under state elections law, the reopening of the filing period must occur if the number of candidates falls below the number of seats open for election, according to Kellie Harris Hopkins, Beaufort County’s elections director. In this case, the number of remaining candidates is four, with five seats on the board open for election.
The filing period reopened at 8 a.m. Monday and closed at 5 p.m. Friday. The reopening does not include other municipal races in the county.
The law, in part, reads: “(b) If at the time the filing period closes only two persons have filed notice of candidacy for election to a single office or only as many persons have filed notices of candidacy for group offices as there are offices to be filled, and thereafter one of the candidates dies before the election and before the ballots are printed, the board of elections shall, upon notification of the death, immediately reopen the filing period for an additional five days during which time additional candidates shall be permitted to file for election.”