Filing is now complete for the May primaries and November General Election.

As filing ended, a flurry of activity over the last few days left most races in the Roanoke-Chowan region contested.

That begins with the local North Carolina Senate and North Carolina House of Representatives races.

State Senator Clark Jenkins will have opposition in his bid to earn a sixth term in office from District 3. The Tarboro Democrat will be opposed in the party’s primary by Florence Arnold Armstrong, also of Tarboro. Armstrong ran against Jenkins two years ago and finished third in the balloting.

The North Carolina House of Representative races did not change over the final two days of filing.

In House District 5, incumbent Annie W. Mobley will face opposition from former Ahoskie Mayor Linda L. Blackburn in the Democratic primary. No Republican or Libertarian filed for the job.

In the 27^th House District, incumbent Michael H. Wray will also face a primary challenge. Former Scotland Neck Mayor James Mills is seeking the office. The winner will face Libertarian candidate Jesse Shearin in the November General Election. No Republican filed for the seat.

The non-partisan race for the seat of retiring Chief District Court Judge Thomas R.J. Newbern has two people vying for the position. They include Woodland Attorney Luther B. Culpepper and Halifax County Assistant District Attorney Vershenia B. Moody.

In addition to the regional offices, each county will have at least one race on the May primary ballots.

 

Bertie County

Three people are seeking the District 1 seat currently held by Bertie County Board of Commissioners Chairman L.C. Hoggard III. In the Democratic primary, Hoggard will be challenged by Ronald D. Wesson. The winner of that contest will have a General Election battle with Republican candidate Angela Simmons Bridges.

There will not be a contested election for the District 4 seat as incumbent Democrat Norman M. Cherry Sr. will run unopposed for another term on the board.

The challenge to replace retiring Bertie County Register of Deeds Belinda White will be a two-person race. Assistant Register of Deeds Annie F. Wilson and Evelyn Wilson-Lee will each seek the office as Democrats.

Filing for the Bertie County Board of Education will happen later this year. That non-partisan vote takes place in November.

 

Gates County

There will be a race for county commission in Gates County during both the May primary and the November General Election.

In District 4, incumbent Commissioner Henry L. Jordan will be challenged by Gates County Planning Board member Chuck Brothers in the Democratic Primary. The winner of that race will advance to the November election where they will meet Republican Thomas W. Hill.

The same is true in District 5 where incumbent Graham L. Twine actually has two challengers for the seat. Linda Hofler of Sunbury and Ernest L. Jordan of Hobbsville have each filed for the Democratic nomination.

Republican Sidney R. Pierce III awaits the winner in the November election.

One seat on the Gates County Board of Education will also see a race as incumbent Dale W. Saunders Sr. will be opposed by Claire R. Whitehurst in the non-partisan election for the District 4 seat.

District 2 incumbent Ray Felton is running unopposed.

Also seeking reelection without opposition is Gates County Register of Deeds Sharon Harrell.

The District 1 seat of the North Carolina Senate, which represents Gates County, will see incumbent Stan M. White seek election to the seat he was appointed to. He faces no Democratic opposition.

On the Republican side, two candidates have filed to oppose White in the General Election. They are Jerry Evans of Washington and Bill Cook of Chocowinity.

The two District Court Judges whose seats are up will also be seeking reelection. Running unopposed are District Court Judges Edgar L. Barnes and Amber Davis Malarney.

 

Hertford County

All three incumbents will seek reelection to their seats on the Hertford County Board of Commissioners. All three will have opposition during the coming elections as well.

In District 1, incumbent Howard J. Hunter III will be opposed by Byron Simonds for the Democratic nomination for the seat.

District 2 Commissioner Ronald Gatling is seeking reelection and will be opposed by a pair of candidates. They include retiring Hertford County Register of Deeds Kathleen Wright and Justin Freeman. All are running as Democrats.

William F. “Bill” Mitchell is seeking his second term representing District 3. He will be opposed for the Democratic nomination by former Commissioner Brenda S. Greene and David E. Pope.

The race to replace Wright as Register of Deeds got even heavier during the final days of filing. In addition to Deputy Register of Deeds Elvira Mason Spiers, there are three other candidates running. They include Deborah Morrison, Gilda Stephenson Robertson and Melanie Storey. All four candidates are running as Democrats.

 

Northampton County

There is only one contested race in Northampton County, but it is a field full as 11 candidates are seeking four spots on the county’s school board. Three incumbents filed to retain their seats. They include Lafayette “Lott” Majette, Marjorie Edwards and Erica Smith-Ingram. Incumbent Bill Little did not file.

The other candidates include former board member and school district principal Charles Tyner as well current Assistant Superintendent Phil Matthews. Also seeking election are Terrance L. Boone of Gaston, Arnetha Garner of Garysburg, Anthony J. Roberts of Gaston, Becky Turner of Jackson, Janett Vaughan Walker of Conway and Clinton McCray Williams of Garysburg.

Incumbent District 2 Commissioner Virginia D. Spruill faces no opposition in her bid to seek reelection.

Also running unopposed is Joseph R. Barrett, who filed as a Democrat to replace retiring District 1 Commissioner James Hester.

Democratic Register of Deeds Pauline Deloatch is seeking reelection unopposed.