ROCKINGHAM — Filing for the 2022 elections opens at noon on Monday with 10 local seats up for grabs.
Four of those seats are on the Richmond County Board of Commissioners and are currently held by Don Bryant, Dr. Rick Watkins, Tavares Bostic and Justin Dawkins.
Of those, Dawkins is the only Republican and was appointed in November 2020 to fill the remainder of the term vacated by Ben Moss, who was elected to the N.C. House of Representatives. He confirmed with the RO Friday that he plans to run.
Bryant has served the longest, being first elected in 2006. Watkins and Bostic were both elected in 2018.
There are also four seats up for reelection on the Richmond County Board of Education. Those are occupied by Pat Campbell, Daryl Mason, Bobbie Sue Ormsby and Joe Richardson.
The other two local offices are for sheriff and clerk of Superior Court.
Sheriff Mark Gulledge was sworn in this past August after being chosen to fill the remainder of the term following the death of Sheriff James E. Clemmons Jr. Gulledge previously served as Clemmons’ chief deputy.
Former New York Police Department detective Nigel Bristow has already announced his plans to run for the office, starting a campaign Facebook page just two days after Gulledge was sworn in.
Vickie Daniel was first elected clerk of court in 2014, according to Board of Elections records.
As for state offices, recent redistricting has resulted in a few changes.
The county is currently in District 66 for the N.C. House of Representatives, which also includes Montgomery County and a sliver of northeastern Stanly County.
But the redrawn map pairs Richmond with southeastern Moore County, creating a candidate conundrum by pitting Moss against Rep. Jamie Boles in the Republican primary.
Both Moss and Boles have said they intend to run for the seat.
District 25 currently comprises all of Richmond, Anson, Moore and Scotland counties, however, the new District 29 takes away Moore and Scotland counties and adds Montgomery, the western half of Randolph and southeastern Union.
This would have double-bunked Sen. Tom McInnis, R-Richmond, with Sen. David Craven, R-Randolph.
But McInnis, who was first elected to the Senate in 2014, has switched his residency to run in the new District 21, which comprises Moore County and most of Cumberland County.
His would-be primary opponent, Sen. Wesley Meredith, recently announced that he would be seeking a seat in the House, the Carolina Journal reported this week.
Filing fees are as follows:
- Sheriff – $909
- Clerk of Court – $998
- N.C. Senate and N.C. House – $140
- Richmond County Board of Education – $27
- Richmond County Board of Commissioners – $140
All filing fees more than $50 must be paid by check.
Filing will be at the Richmond County Board of Elections, 221 S. Hancock Street, Rockingham until noon Dec. 17.
In addition to the filing fees, candidates:
- Must file a notice of candidacy
- Must file a certificate signed by the chairman or the director of the county board of elections where they are registered to vote
- May not have switched political parties three months prior to filing
- May not file for more than one office
Those registered as unaffiliated cannot run as a candidate in a party primary election.
Anyone with questions about filing should call the Board of Elections at 910-997-8253.
