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Candidate Filing Opens In North Carolina for 2016 Elections

North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE)
Candidate filing opens in North Carolina on December 1st and runs through December 21st.

Today, December 1st, was the opening day of the candidate filing period for North Carolina’s 2016 elections.  Candidates have three weeks to register, with filing closing on December 21st. 

In order to make the most of the presidential primary, which is expected to draw out voters, lawmakers moved the primaries for federal, state, and local elections in North Carolina from May to March 15th.  And that means filing has been moved forward too.  Here’s New Hanover County Board of Elections Director Derek Bowens:

“That was a result of House Bill 373 to consolidate the regular May primary and the March primary to March. First, I believe, to give North Carolina earlier in the presidential preference primary and, of course, to save cost, because it’s been quite expensive to have two elections, one in March and one in May—one being a presidential preference and one being a regular primary.”

In New Hanover County, candidates will file for state Senate Districts 8 and 9, as well as state House of Representatives Districts 18, 19, and 20.  As of Tuesday afternoon, Representative Ted Davis Jr. had filed to run for reelection to House District 19.  Due to Representative Rick Catlin’s decision not to seek a new term, House District 20 is wide open.  So far, New Hanover County Board of Education member Tammy Covil has filed to vie for that position.

Jeannette Nichols will run for reelection to the Board of Education, and incumbent Jonathan Barfield Jr. filed for Board of Commissioners.  Patricia Kusek, Chair of the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, is a new challenger for the Board of Commissioners.  Tammy Beasley filed for reelection to Register of Deeds.