AHOSKIE – The political race for Ahoskie’s Ward B Town Council seat is over and not a single vote was cast.

Late Monday afternoon, Winfred Hardy formally withdrew from November’s municipal election. He submitted his letter of withdrawal to Shelia Fleetwood, director of Hertford County’s Board of Elections office in Winton.

That leaves Larry &uot;Cutt&uot; Vann as the lone official candidate for the Ward B seat. In a Special Called meeting on Aug. 7, Vann was appointed by members of the Ahoskie Town Council to fill the Ward B seat left open upon the resignation of two-term Councilman Andrew Hunter. He resigned in June in order to spend more time with his family.

In his letter of resignation, Hunter suggested Vann as his replacement. Council members accepted that suggestion by naming Vann to fill the vacancy. He was officially sworn in prior to the start of the Council’s regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 12.

In the meantime, Hardy – Hertford County’s former Sheriff – had submitted a letter to the Town Council expressing his desire to fill Hunter’s unexpired term.

During the municipal election filing period, which ended at 12 noon on Aug. 1, both Vann and Hardy filed for the Ward B seat.

Although one race has now formally ended, Ahoskie voters still have decisions to make on Nov. 4.

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.

Ahoskie’s three remaining council seats – Ward A (Copeland), Ward B (Ronald Gatling) and At-Large (O.S. &uot;Buck&uot; Suiter Jr.) – are not up for reelection until November of 2005.