ROCKINGHAM — Candidate filing is underway and 10 candidates — including two newcomers — have thrown their proverbial hats in the ring within the first two days at the Richmond County Board of Elections.
ROCKINGHAM
In the county seat, the mayoral position and three council spots are up for grabs.
Mayor John Hutchinson has filed for reelection, and is currently unopposed. After serving several terms on the council, he was elected mayor in 2021.
The three council seats are currently held by Gene Willard, Denise Sullivan and Debbie Wrenn.
Wrenn was appointed in November 2024 to fill out the remainder of the term of the late Anne Edwards. Edwards resigned in September 2024 and passed away this past May.
According to Elections Director Shannon Hearne, both Wrenn and Sulivan have filed, along with challenger Greg Leberth. Last summer, Leberth was appointed to serve as chairman of the Rockingham ABC Board.
HAMLET
In the Seaboard City, there are three seats up for reelection — those currently held by Mayor Amy Guinn and Councilmembers Eddie Martin and Tony Clewis.
Clewis, who previously served on the board, was appointed to fill the remainder of Jesse McQueen’s term. McQueen resigned in October 2024 when he moved outside the city limits.
Hearne said that Guinn, Martin and Clewis have all filed, as has Esco Latimer.
Latimer has been campaigning for a while and was sworn in as a member of the Hamlet Planning Board in June. He has been active in trying to clean up the city in recent years.
OTHER MUNICIPALITIES
In Dobbins Heights, the seats held by Angeline David and Tyre Holloway are up for reelection. David has filed but, as of July 8, Holloway — who also serves as the town clerk — had not.
All positions on the Hoffman Town Council, including the mayor, are up every two years, according to Hearne.
Karla Bostick is serving as mayor and the council members are Riccardo Anderson, Kyonna Jones, Daniel Kelly, Cynthia Northcutt and Rory Kevin Jones.
Anderson is the only one to file, thus far.
Four seats in Ellerbe — held by Mayor Brenda Capel and Councilmembers Jean Fletcher, Elsie Freeman and Bennett Hawks — will be on the November ballot. As of Tuesday, none had filed for reelection.
Filing ends at noon on Friday, July 18.
NOTE: This story has been updated to correct the month in one sentence. 7:25 p.m. 7-8-25
