ROCKINGHAM — By the time filing for Richmond County’s upcoming municipal elections ended Friday, all but two incumbents had signed up to run.
According to the Richmond County Board of Elections, Hoffman Mayor Tommy Hart and Rockingham Councilman Steve Morris did not file for reelection by the noon deadline of the two-week filing period.
The elections board held an emergency meeting at 3:30 p.m., deciding to extend the deadline for the Hoffman mayoral race for five days.
Filing will be open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, July 24-Thursday, July 27 and 8 a.m.-noon on Friday, July 28.
Only three races on the ballot will be contested.
In Hamlet, Amy Guinn is challenging current Mayor Bill Bayless; and Raymond Mills is vying for one of the three council seats currently held by Oscar Sellers, Maurice Stuart and Abbie Covington.
As for the Rockingham City Council, Jeffrey Benson and Holly Littlefield Howe are both eyeing seats currently held by Morris, Bennett Deane and Gene Willard.
Morris was appointed to the seat formerly held by Mayor John Hutchinson — after Hutchinson defeated Morris in 2021. Hutchinson is unopposed in this year’s contest.
All five Hoffman Town Council members — Ricardo Anderson, Keyona Jones, Rory Kevin Jones, Daniel Kelly and Cynthia Northcutt — filed for re-election either Thursday or Friday.
Norman Mayor Tonia Collins and council members Stephen Cranford, Nancy Paxton and Terry Parsons all filed this week. The board was apparently unaware that Parsons had been appointed to the seat formerly held by Renate Mann.
Paxton and Mann were both elected by write-in vote in 2019.
Dobbins Heights councilwomen Mary Ann Gibson and Ravonna Magee, along with Mayor Antonio Blue, have no competition, nor do Ellerbe Mayor Brenda Capel or council members Jeremy McKenzie and John Sears Jr.
