Election filing period ends
By Steve Herring
Published in News on March 1, 2018 5:50 AM
Filing for most offices to be decided in the Nov. 6 midterm general election ended Wednesday at noon creating two countywide Democratic primaries and a nonpartisan district one.
The primary is Tuesday, May 8.
Democrats Raymond Smith of Goldsboro and Eugene Pearsall of the Faison area are vying for the N.C. House of Representatives District 21 seat now held by Democrat Larry Bell of Clinton.
Bell has announced he will not seek re-election.
Smith currently serves as the at-large member on the school board.
The primary winner will face Republican Robert Freeman of Goldsboro in November.
In the other Democratic primary, Grayson Parker of Goldsboro and Dr. Kyle Horton of Carolina Beach are seeking to become the party's candidate in the race for U.S. House of Representatives, District 7.
The winner will challenge Republican Rep. David Rouzer of Wilmington in November.
Wayne County Board of Education District 6 member Rick Pridgen of Goldsboro is being challenged by Wayne County GOP Chairman Wade Leatham of Goldsboro and Joe Brown of Dudley in the nonpartisan school board primary.
The school board primary is limited to Democratic, Republican and unaffiliated voters who reside in the district.
Unaffiliated voters can cast ballots in the Democratic primaries. Unaffiliated voters who do not vote in the Democratic primaries will be able to vote in the nonpartisan school board race, provided that they reside in that district.
District 7 state Sen. Louis Pate of Mount Olive, and state House District 10 Rep. John Bell of Goldsboro are seeking re-election. Both are Republicans.
Wayne County Democratic Party Chairman Barbara Dantonio will challenge Pate in November, while Democrat Tracy Blackmon of Goldsboro will face off against Bell.
School board District 1 member Chris West of Pikeville and District 4 member Jennifer Strickland of Goldsboro are unchallenged in their re-election bids.
Joe Democko of LaGrange is the only candidate in school board District 5 where incumbent board member Arnold Flowers is not seeking re-election.
Justin L. Minshew, Democrat, is the only candidate for Wayne County clerk of court. Clerk Pam Minshew, a Democrat, is not seeking re-election. Justin Minshew is her son.
Sheriff Larry Pierce and District Attorney Matt Delbridge, both Republicans, are running unopposed.
One-stop voting will be held April 19 and 20 and April 23 to May 5 at the Wayne County Board of Elections office, 209. S. William St.
The voter registration deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, April 13.
However, same-day registration will be allowed during the early-voting period. Those who register during that time will need to present proof of their current address using documents such as a utility bill.
Filing for judicial offices is scheduled for June 18 to 29 in the wake of legislation eliminating judicial primaries.
Filing is June 11 to July 6 for Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor (two member seats).