Late filings create primaries
By Steve Herring
Published in News on December 22, 2015 1:46 PM
Candidates who came forth Monday in the waning hours of the filing period for the 2016 elections created several local primaries for March 15.
Constance Bryant Coram of Goldsboro created one of the primaries when she filed Monday to challenge District 3 Wayne County Commissioner John Bell.
Both are Democrats. There is no Republican opposition in the Nov. 8 general election.
Ms. Coram originally filed on opening day on Dec. 1 for register of deeds only to withdraw her candidacy just days later.
But it is the District 3 seat on the nonpartisan Wayne County Board of Education that created the most interest before the filing period ended at noon Monday.
Trebor J. Jackson and Charles Wright Sr., both of Goldsboro, filed for that seat Monday joining incumbent Patricia Burden and Taj Jamal Polack, both of Goldsboro, who filed earlier.
On the state level, District 21 Rep. Larry M. Bell of Clinton is being challenged by Scotty L. Smith of Warsaw in the Democratic primary. There is no Republican opposition in November.
Also, District 8-B Superior Court Judge Arnold O. Jones of Pikeville will face off against former Superior Court judge Jerry Braswell and Goldsboro attorney Will Bland in the primary.
Judicial races are nonpartisan.
At least three candidates had to file for a nonpartisan office to necessitate a primary that will be held March 15. In the nonpartisan races voters will select their top two candidates in each race.
Two other seats are up on the nonpartisan Board of Education: Eddie Radford, at-large, and Dwight Cannon, District 2.
Ven Faulk of Dudley and Raymond Smith Jr. of Goldsboro, former transportation director for the school system, filed for the at-large seat currently held by Radford, who did not seek re-election.
Len Henderson, who previously served on the board, is the sole candidate for the District 2 seat. Cannon did not seek re-election
Henderson, of Dudley, was appointed in August of 2010 to complete the unexpired term of Shirley Sims, who had stepped down after moving to Garner.
He completed the final two years of the term, but lost out in a bid for the at-large seat in the 2012 election.
All seven seats on the Wayne County Board of Commissioners are up for election, and all seven incumbents have filed. They are Republicans Wayne Aycock of Pikeville, at-large; Ray Mayo of Pikeville, District 1; Joe Gurley of Goldsboro, District 4; Bill Pate of Goldsboro, District 5; and Joe Daughtery of Goldsboro, District 6; and Democrats Ed Cromartie of Mount Olive, District 2, and Bell of Goldsboro, District 3.
Judy Denning Harrison of the Grantham community is unopposed for register of deeds. A Democrat, she was appointed to the office in October following the retirement of Lois Mooring.
Republicans District 7 state Sen. Louis Pate of Mount Olive, and District 4 Rep. Jimmy Dixon of Mount Olive (Duplin County) are unopposed.
Republican District 10 state Rep. John Bell of Goldsboro has no primary opposition, but will face Democrat Evelyn Paul of New Bern in November.
Democratic District 5 state Sen. Don Davis of Snow Hill is unopposed.
There were other filings for judicial offices as well.
Annette W. Turik of Kinston, who was recently appointed to complete the unexpired term of the late District Court Judge Tim Finan, has filed for that seat. She will face Goldsboro attorney William Curtis Stackhouse in the Nov. 8 general election.
Eighth District Court Judges Charles P. Gaylor III of Goldsboro; Les Turner of Pink Hill; David Brantley of Goldsboro; and Ericka James of Goldsboro, have all filed for re-election.
They have no opposition.
Retired Superior Court Judge Paul Wright of Mount Olive has filed for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Richard Burr and who is seeking re-election. Both are Republicans.
District 1 Congressman G.K. Butterfield of Wilson is unopposed in his re-election bid. He is a Democrat.
Butterfield will face Libertarian C.L. Cooke of Elizabeth City in November.
District 13 Congressman George Holding, a Republican of Raleigh, has no primary challenge. However, two Democrats have filed as well -- Ron Sanyal and John P. McNeil, both of Raleigh.