WINTON – Three incumbents vs. three challengers….the field is set for what has shaped up to be an interesting race for the open seats on the Hertford County Board of Education.

On the next to the last day before filing ended on Friday, a third challenger entered the race. Dr. Mary C. Wyatt, who served a five-year term (2000-05) as President of Roanoke-Chowan Community College, has decided to seek election to the county’s Board of Education.

Wyatt joins two other veteran educators and political newcomers on the ballot – Nora Mae Artis of Cofield and Dr. Joanne H. Jones of Ahoskie. Artis is a retired principal within Hertford County Public Schools. Jones once served as Principal at Hertford County Early College High School.

Artis and Jones both filed on July 25.

That trio of challengers will be vying for votes along with three School Board incumbents who filed earlier to retain their seats.

Shelia Porter of Murfreesboro filed July 9 and Dennis Deloatch of Ahoskie opted to seek reelection by filing two days later. The third incumbent, John D. Horton of Ahoskie, filed July 16.

Porter, who retired as Principal of Hertford County Middle School, currently serves as the Chair of the Hertford County Board of Education. Deloatch is the retired Superintendent of the county’s public school system while Horton is a retired educator.

The six candidates will square off during the Nov. 4 General Election. The top three vote-getters will earn seats on the School Board.

In other local races on the November ballot, incumbent County Commissioner Curtis Freeman faces Republican challenger Daniel Lee Smith Sr. Both men are from Ahoskie.

Incumbent Commissioner Johnnie Ray Farmer of Millennium faces no opposition on November’s ballot. Neither does District Attorney Valerie M. Asbell of Ahoskie; Clerk of Court Shirley G. Johnson of Murfreesboro; Sheriff Juan Vaughan of Murfreesboro; and Erica Smith-Ingram of Gaston, a candidate for NC Senate (District 3) who is currently a member of the Northampton County Board of Education.

There is a race for the local, District 5 seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives. There, Ahoskie Democrat Howard Hunter III, a current member of the Hertford County Board of Commissioners, will face Gatesville Republican Sidney R. Pierce III.

Filing for the two seats on the Hertford County Soil and Water District Board of Supervisors ended July 7. Only two filed – incumbent board members David Simons III of Murfreesboro and Jimmy Mason of Harrellsville. Their names will be listed on the November ballot.