ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County Republicans will now have to narrow down candidates in four contests on their ballots in the May 17 primary election.
Karen Everett on Wednesday became the fifth Republican to file for the Board of Commissioners race, setting up a party primary, according to election records.
Everett will face off against sitting Commissioners Justin Dawkins and Rick Watkins, as well as fellow challengers Jason Gainey and Danny Pearson.
Watkins switched his affiliation from the Democratic Party prior to filing originally opening in December.
Tyrannia Ellerbe also filed Wednesday as the sixth Democrat in the contest.
The primary for that party was set when Commissioner Tavares Bostic filed on Feb. 25. Other Democrats in that race are Commissioner Don Bryant and challengers Michael Legrand, Abbie Covington and Linda Ross.
The top four vote-getters will move on to the ballot in November.
Three other potential candidates — Joe Ward, Johnathan Buie and Bryan Stanback — are collecting signatures for ballot access.
Petitioners will have to solicit 1,094 valid signatures from Richmond County voters by May 17 to be on the ballot, according to Elections Director Connie Kelly. If they succeed, they will then have to pay the filing fee.
SENATE FIELD GROWS
Both parties will also have to pick their candidate for the U.S. Senate Race in their respective primary.
Records with the N.C. State Board of Elections show 21 candidates have filed for a run at the seat currently held by Sen. Richard Burr, who is not running for reelection.
There are nine Democrats, including former N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley.
The other Democratic candidates are: Constance Johnston of Charlotte; Rett Newton of Beaufort; Chrelle Booker of Columbus; Greg Antoine of Fayetteville; Alyssia Rose-Katherine Hammond of Raleigh; Tobias LaGrone of Greensboro; Marcus Williams of Lumberton; and James Carr of Harrisburg.
The Republican field includes former Gov. Pat McCrory, U.S. Rep. Ted Budd and former Congressman Mark Walker.
Although the three have been considered “front-runners” for months, records show McCrory filed last Friday, Budd on Monday and Walker on Wednesday.
McCrory and Walker debated against Marjorie Eastman this weekend at the Carolina Liberty Conference hosted by the John Locke Foundation. Budd was invited but did not attend.
Eastman has not yet filed.
A press release announcing Budd’s filing mentioned that he still lived in Davie County, however, election records show a Raleigh P.O. Box.
Budd has also been endorsed by former president Donald Trump and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, in addition to 51 state legislators and 14 sheriffs.
Other Republican candidates are: Jen Banwart of Holly Springs; Lee Brian of Clayton; Benjamin Griffiths of Cleveland; Charles Kenneth Moss of Randleman; Lichia Sibhatu of Raleigh; Drew Bulecza of Lincolnton; Leonard Bryant of Fayetteville; and Kenneth Harper Jr. of Fayetteville.
One Libertarian, Shannon Bray of Apex, has filed for the Senate race.
U.S. HOUSE RACE HEATS UP
With Richmond County now split between two congressional districts, Republicans in the eastern part of the county will have to choose between three candidates in the primary.
U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, who previously represented Richmond County, is vying for reelection to the 9th Congressional District.
The district also includes Scotland, Hoke, Lee, Chatham and Randolph counties in addition to northwest Cumberland, western Harnett
As the RO recently reported, two other Republican candidates are hoping to be voted into the U.S. House of Representatives: Jen Bucardo of Asheboro and Francisco Rios of Charlotte.
The winner of the primary will go on to face current state Sen. Ben Clark, D-Hoke.
So far, Rep. Dan Bishop stands unopposed for the 8th Congressional District, which comprises the western two-thirds of Richmond, Anson, Union, Montgomery, Stanly, Davidson and Rowan counties and eastern Cabarrus.
OTHER RACES
Due to legislative redistricting, Republicans will have to choose between Richmond County’s Ben Moss and Moore County’s Jamie Boles for N.C. House District 52, who were double bunked on the new map.
No Democrats or Libertarians have filed for that race.
The Democratic primary will also have two candidates in the contest for Richmond County sheriff: current office holder Mark Gulledge, who was appointed last August following the unexpected death of Sheriff James E. Clemmons Jr.; and former New York officer Nigel Bristow.
Kelly told the RO Wednesday that another potential candidate, Joe Cagle, will be collecting signatures to get on the November ballot for sheriff.
Another petitioning candidate, Ashley Brower, is running against Vickie Daniel for Clerk of Superior Court. As of last Thursday, Kelly said Brower had turned in around 800 signatures. Since starting the process, Brower switched to the Republican Party from being unaffiliated, but is still going through with collecting names. Daniel is a Democrat.
There are four seats up for reelection on the Richmond County Board of Education, which are currently held by Joe Richardson, Bobbie Sue Ormsby, Daryl Mason and Pat Campbell.
Richardson, Ormsby and Mason have filed, along with challengers Bess Schuler, Scotty Baldwin, Eddie Rainwater, Cory Satterfield and Jeremy McKenzie.
A family member told the RO on Monday that Campbell doesn’t plan to file due to health issues.
The school board election will be the same day as the primaries.
District Court Judge Chevonne Wallace and District Attorney Reece Saunders, both Democrats, are unopposed, as is state Sen. Dave Craven, R-Randolph, for the District 29 Senate seat.
Filing ends at noon on Friday.
