Election filing in Duplin draws 12
By Bonnie Edwards
Published in News on April 27, 2004 2:01 PM
KENANSVILLE -- The Duplin County Board of Elections had 12 people to file Monday for public office.
The filing, which began at noon Monday, continues until noon on May 7 for the primary on July 20.
Four of the 12 candidates who filed Monday were incumbents, Register of Deeds Davis Brinson of Magnolia, County Commissioners Reginald Wells of Rose Hill and Zettie Williams of Magnolia and state Sen. Charlie Albertson of Beulaville.
County commissioners
The county commissioner board has two other incumbents who are up for re-election, Myrle Beringer, who says he's not going to seek re-election, and L.S. Guy of Faison, who said he's planning to file today.
Guy will face a challenger in the Democratic primary from Snodie Wilson of Kenansville, for the District 1 seat.
Beringer's seat representing District 4 gained two candidates Monday, David Fussell of Wallace, a Democrat, and Ray Garriss, also of Wallace, a Republican. So far, there's no primary in that race.
Sean Knowles, a Republican from Rose Hill, filed to run for District 6, the seat held by Reginald Wells.
"I think there will be a lot more competition this year," said Knowles. "This will be one worth watching."
This is Knowles' first time entering the political arena. He works for a CPA firm at Rose Hill. He said he wants to learn what is behind his property tax hike.
His concerns are mainly reducing taxes, bringing in industry and spending money wisely on education.
Knowles' wife, Tracy, said he will graduate in May from Campbell University with a master's degree in business administration.
Wells came into the office shortly after Knowles. He filed without making a statement. Commissioner Williams filed later in the afternoon and made no statement.
Board of Education
The school board incumbents, Chairman Doc Brinson of District 1, Reginald Kenan of District 5 and Hubert Bowden of District 6, didn't come into the Elections Board office Monday.
Brinson announced last year he would not seek re-election. He has been on the board 20 years, and he says that's long enough.
Newcomers Gary Cook of Bowden Road and Willie Gillespie of Kenansville will square off in the Democratic Primary for a bid to replace Brinson in the District 1 school board seat.
Cook has two children, one who graduated two years ago and another who is a junior at James Kenan High School.
Gillespie filed later in the afternoon and has not released a statement.
Other races
The Register of Deeds, Davis Brinson, a Democrat, was the first to arrive at the office, with his wife, Kristy. He was unopposed this morning.
Former state Rep. Russell Tucker of Pink Hill filed for state House District 4. The district he used to represent now encompasses all of Duplin County and parts of Onslow. Tucker said he looks forward to attempting to serve again. "My pastor called me up in church Sunday and prayed for me and other folks who felt the need to run for public office," he said.
Tucker will face Naverro Brown of Kenansville in the Democratic primary in July. Brown filed later Monday afternoon.
Elections worker Chiquitta Lesene, who signed them up at the computer, said lots of telephone calls had been coming into the office.