Local, state candidates vie for office
By From staff reports
Published in News on November 4, 2012 1:50 AM
As the 2012 election cycle winds down with Election Day only two days away, Wayne County voters are preparing to finish casting ballots in 22 local races.
Below is a quick reminder of what seats are up for grabs and the candidates who are asking for your votes. The polls will be open on Tuesday from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
N.C. SENATE DISTRICT 5
Don Davis, D-Greene: Davis, a former state senator, is the only candidate in this race. He has served in the Air Force, worked as an educator and served as mayor of Snow Hill. He served in the state Senate from 2008 to 2010. This is a majority minority district.
N.C. SENATE DISTRICT 7
Louis M. Pate Jr., R-Wayne: Pate, who is an incumbent, previously served in District 5 but now is in the newly redrawn District 7. Pate also has served as the mayor of Mount Olive and spent four terms in the state House.
N.C. HOUSE DISTRICT 4
Jimmy Dixon, R-Duplin: Dixon is the incumbent in this race. He defeated fellow legislator Rep. Efton Sager, R-Wayne, in the primary after the two had been pitted against each other following redistricting. Dixon has served one term in the state House.
Rebecca H. Judge, D-Duplin: Ms. Judge entered the race after the May primary when the filed candidate, Delores Kennedy of Mount Olive, withdrew. A former real estate broker and mental health nurse, Ms. Judge last ran for public office in 2006, losing the Democratic nomination for the Duplin County Board of Commissioners District 3 seat to incumbent Arliss Albertson.
Kevin E. Hayes, L-Wayne: Hayes, of Mount Olive, is running on the Libertarian ticket. He is a member of the Constitution Party of North Carolina and says that if elected, he will serve as unaffiliated. This is his first foray into politics.
N.C. HOUSE DISTRICT 10
John Bell, R-Wayne: John Bell IV defeated incumbent Rep. Stephen LaRoque, R-Lenoir, in the primary. The first vice chairman of the Wayne County Republican Party and manager of sales and business development for N.C. Community Federal Credit Union in Goldsboro, this is his first run for elected office, though he has managed campaigns since 2008.
Jim Hardison, D-Lenoir: Hardison, former finance director for Wayne and Lenoir county school systems, faced no opposition in the primary. This is the first time he's run for public office.
N.C. HOUSE DISTRICT 21
Larry M. Bell, D-Sampson: Bell is seeking his seventh term in this seat, which is a majority minority district.
WAYNE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AT-LARGE
Sandra McCullen, Democrat: Mrs. McCullen, the associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction for Wayne County Public Schools, is seeking her second term in this seat after being first elected in 2008.
Wayne Aycock, Republican: Aycock, who owns and operates Nahunta Storage, is a partner in the Nahunta Softball Complex and previously owned and operated Wayne Aycock Trucking. He is making another attempt at the county commission after losing to former District 1 Republican commissioner Andy Anderson several years ago.
WAYNE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 1
E. Ray Mayo, Republican: Mayo defeated several challengers in the primary after being appointed to the county board in 2011 following the retirement of former commissioner Republican Andy Anderson.
WAYNE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 2
J.D. Evans, Democrat: Evans, a former educator, has served on the county board of commissioners since 2001 when he was first appointed to fill the seat vacated by Jimmie Ford's election to the state House.
Kenneth Kyle Talton, Republican: Talton, who served seven years on the Mount Olive Town Board of Commissioners, is a building inspector for the city of Goldsboro.
WAYNE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 3
John Bell, Democrat: Bell, who is running unopposed, is seeking re-election to the seat he has held since 2000.
WAYNE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 4
Steve Keen, Republican: Keen, who is running unopposed, is seeking re-election to the seat he has held for one term.
WAYNE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 5
Roland M "Bud" Gray, Democrat: Gray, a farmer and member of the New Hope Fire Department, is seeking his third term in office.
Bill Pate, Republican: Pate, who retired in 2011 from the Wayne County Employment Security Commission/Joblink Career Center, is making his first run for elected office.
WAYNE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DISTRICT 6
Jack Best, Democrat: Best, retired as president of Best Distributing Co. and partner in Best Commercial Development, has held this seat since 2004.
Joe Daughtery, Republican: Daughtery, a leader in the county Republican party, has run for the county commission several times, most recently losing to Best in 2008.
WAYNE COUNTY REGISTER OF DEEDS
Lois J. Mooring, Democrat: Mrs. Mooring, who is facing no opposition, has served in the post since 2004.
DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DISTRICT 8 (BRANTLEY SEAT)
David B. Brantley of Goldsboro is seeking re-election to the seat he has held since 1996.
DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DISTRICT 8 (CARRAWAY SEAT)
Lonnie W. Carraway, of Walstonburg, is seeking re-election to the seat he has held since 2000.
Ericka Y. James, a Pikeville attorney, is challenging Carraway for the seat on the bench.
DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DISTRICT 8 (FINAN SEAT)
Timothy L. Finan of Goldsboro is seeking re-election to the seat he has held since 2007.
DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DISTRICT 8 (GAYLOR SEAT)
Charles P. Gaylor III of Goldsboro is seeking re-election to the seat he has held since 2008.
DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DISTRICT 8 (TURNER SEAT)
Les Turner of Pink Hill is seeking re-election to the seat he has held since 2000.
WAYNE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION AT-LARGE
H. Len Henderson is currently the school board District 2 representative after having been appointed in 2010 to fill the unexpired term of Shirley Sims, who moved to Garner. Henderson previously worked at O'Berry Center and Cherry Hospital.
Eddie Radford is the incumbent in this race. The former teacher, coach and administrator in the Wayne County public school system has been on the board since 2008 and is the current chairman.
Gene Baker is not on the ballot for this seat, but has filed the necessary paperwork to be an official write-in candidate after getting into the race toward the end of October. Baker is a former teacher and principal, residential building contractor and golf course operator.
WAYNE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION DISTRICT 2
Dwight B. Cannon, who had been a candidate for appointment to the seat after Shirley Sims stepped down, is the pastor of St. James A.M.E. Zion Church in Goldsboro. This is his first official run for the seat.
Ven Faulk, who also had been a candidate for appointment to the seat in 2010, is the president of Shumate-Faulk Funeral Home. He previously had run for the at-large seat in 2008, losing to Eddie Radford.
WAYNE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION DISTRICT 3
Thelma Smith is the incumbent in this race, having served on the board since 1996. She is a former business teacher and guidance counselor.
Charles Wright Sr., retired military and education chairman for the Goldsboro/Wayne NAACP, is making his second attempt at this seat, having lost to Smith in 2008.
WAYNE COUNTY SOIL AND WATER SUPERVISOR
Thomas Uzzell of Goldsboro has served since 2006.