Interested in being Governor of North Carolina?

Lt. Governor? U.S. Congressman? Commissioner of Labor?

All those jobs are open and, starting at 12 noon Monday, any eligible registered voter can file to run for those positions at either the local board of elections office or the State Board of Elections, depending on which office one seeks.

At least three state offices will not have incumbents running in 2008 as Governor Michael F. Easley is term-limited and Lt. Governor Beverly Perdue and State Treasurer Richard Moore have each indicated they will seek that office.

The entire Council of State will be on the ballot, however. Those offices include: governor, lt. governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, attorney general, commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, commissioner of labor and commissioner of insurance.

Anyone wishing to run for Council of State must file in Raleigh. Also filing with the State Board of Elections are those wishing to run for the United States Senate seat currently held by Elizabeth Dole (R) or the First District U.S. Congress seat held by G.K. Butterfield (D).

Also filing in Raleigh are District Court Judges, one of whom will be on the ballot in 2008. The seat currently held by Judge Tom Newbern for Judicial District 6B will be on the November ballot.

The North Carolina Senate seat from District 5, representing Bertie, Gates, Hertford, Northampton, Chowan and Perquimans counties will be on the ballot. The seat is currently held by Democrat Ed Jones, who was appointed to the post in January of 2007 following the death of Senator Robert L. Holloman.

Incumbent North Carolina House of Representatives member Michael H. Wray’s seat in District 27 representing Northampton, Vance and Warren counties will be on the ballot as will the seat held by Annie W. Mobley in District Five, representing Bertie, Gates, Hertford and Perquimans counties. Wray was originally elected in 2004 while Mobley was appointed to replace the late Howard J. Hunter Jr. after his death in 2006.

Those wishing to file for those seats can do so either at their local board of elections or in the state office in Raleigh.

Locally, Bertie County will have three county commission seats on the ballot this year. The seats include the District 1 spot currently held by Democrat L.C. Hoggard and the District 4 seat held by Norman Cherry Sr., also a Democrat.

The District 5 seat, to which Charles Smith was appointed after the death of the J. Jasper Bazemore, will also be on the ballot. That spot will be available for the final two years of the original term.

The Bertie County Register of Deeds post, currently held by Belinda White, will also be on the ballot.

All those wishing to file in Bertie County can do so in the Bertie County Board Elections office with Director Shirlee Davenport.

In Hertford County there will also be three county commission seats available.

District One Commissioner Howard J. Hunter III (D), District Two Commissioner Dupont A. Davis and District III Commissioner John E. Pierce, all Democrats, will all be up for reelection.

The Hertford County Register of Deeds office, currently held by Democrat Kathleen Wright, will also be up for election.

Those wishing to file for any of the county offices can do so with Elections Director Sheila Privott.

Northampton County will have only two commission seats up during 2008. They are the District One seat held by Democrat James Hester and the District Two post held by Virginia D. Spruill.

Northampton Register of Deeds Pauline Deloatch will also be up for reelection in 2008.

Northampton County Elections Director Susie Squire will aid anyone wishing to file in that county.

All three elections offices will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. All three will close for lunch from 12:30 n 1:30 p.m.

In Gates County, the county commission seats currently held by J.S. Pierce (District 4) and L. Frank Rountree (District 5) will be on the ballot in 2008.

Also filing at this time are Gates County Board of Education candidates. The seats held by Paulette Wester (District 2) and Dale Saunders (District 4) are up this year.

Register of Deeds Sharon G. Harrell will also be on the ballot this year.

Filing ends at 12 noon Friday, February 29.