AHOSKIE – Variety may indeed prove to be the spice of life when it comes to the race for Ahoskie’s elected leaders.

The filing period for this November’s municipal elections ended at 12 noon on Friday. When high noon past, Ahoskie voters found themselves with a varied choice of candidates.

In the race for Mayor, veteran incumbent Arthur Lee Wiggins finds himself challenged by political newcomer Linda L. Blackburn. She is employed by Hertford County as the Director of the Office on Aging.

Voters in Ahoskie’s Ward A will have a choice between incumbent Elaine Myers and challenger Addie Ruth Holloman.

Myers, a businesswoman who is also actively involved in local civic organizations, is the incumbent, but this marks the first time her name will appear on a municipal election ballot. She was appointed last year to fill Doug Brinkley’s unexpired term on the Ahoskie Council.

Holloman, employed by Rivers Correctional Institution, ran unsuccessfully in 2001 for the Ward A Council seat currently held by Malcolm Copeland.

Meanwhile, a race for one of the two Ward B Council seats is heating up as Winfred Hardy Jr. and Larry &uot;Cutt&uot; Vann have entered the race.

Hardy, Hertford County’s former Sheriff, and Vann, who is employed by Reynolds Funeral Home, are seeking the seat formerly occupied by Andrew Hunter. He submitted his formal resignation to the Ahoskie Town Council last month.

Both Hardy and Vann are seeking to fill Hunter’s unexpired term prior to November’s election. The Ahoskie Town Council may make a decision on that vacancy during their regularly scheduled meeting next week (Aug. 12).

Ahoskie’s three remaining council seats – Ward A (Copeland), Ward B (Ronald Gatling) and At-Large (O.S. &uot;Buck&uot; Suiter Jr.) – are up for reelection in November of 2005.

Other races

Outside the battle for power in Ahoskie, there are only two other contested races in Hertford County municipalities.

In Cofield, incumbent Mayor Hermea Pugh Sr. will be challenged by newcomer Melvin S. Wynn. Incumbents Anthony Archer, Nettie Combo &uot;Teen&uot; Brickers, Herbert D. Smith, Chris Sutton and Lee Watford Jr. have each re-filed for the five positions on Cofield’s Town Council.

Political newcomer Thomas C.M. Schucker has filed for one of the five seats on Murfreesboro’s Town Council. Each of those current Council members have filed for reelection – incumbents Wayne R. Brown, Booker Daniel, Bill Parker Jr., Bill Stephens and Billy Theodorakis. Murfreesboro incumbent Mayor Ben McLean has filed for reelection and is running unopposed.

The remainder of the municipal races in Hertford County are dominated by incumbents. They are as follows:

Town of Como – Mayor Danny Edwards and Council members Helen C. Curle, Susan W. Kennington, Stephen F. Pearce and Irvin Stephens have all filed for reelection.

Town of Harrellsville – Filing for reelection are Mayor Robert Dantz along with Council members Deborah A. Baker, Shadrick Gathers Jr., Coleman Taylor, Mary L. Thompson and Roy Worrells Jr.

Town of Winton – Seeking another term in office are Mayor Calvin S. Hall and Council members Carolyn Bazemore, Charles B. Jones, Wesley Liverman, Bernard Moore and William McCoy Pierce.