The two Board of Commissioners seats up for re-election will face primary challenges but no general election opponents in 2024, as the filing period ended at noon on Friday, Dec. 15.
In total, six Republicans filed for office in Macon County. On the first day, Dec. 4, Barry Breeden filed for Macon County Board of Commissioners District 3. On Dec. 8, incumbent Commissioner Paul Higdon filed for re-election to that seat.
Josh Young filed for re-election to his Macon County Board of Commissioners District 2 seat on Dec. 6. On the last day, Dec. 15, Chris Browning filed to oppose Young.
The March 5 primary will essentially decide both commissioner races. No non-Republican candidates filed, meaning the Republican primary winner for both commissioner races will be unopposed on the Nov. 5 general election ballot.
Franklin’s Republican state reps, Sen. Kevin Corbin and Rep. Karl Gillespie both filed. No other Republicans filed in their districts, although both will face Democratic general election challengers. Adam Tebrugge, a Cullowhee Democrat, filed to face Corbin for his N.C. Senate District 50 seat; and Nancy Curtis, an Andrews Democrat, will face Gillespie for his N.C. House District 120 seat.
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, a Hendersonville Republican representing Macon County in North Carolina’s 11th District in Congress, faces a primary challenge from Hayesville Republican Christian Reagan. The winner faces Asheville Democrat Caleb Rudow in the general election.
In the judicial races, Franklin Republican Virginia Hornsby will face Sylva Republican Andy Buckner in a primary for District Court’s District 43, Seat 7. The three other District 43 seats up for election in 2024, Seats 4, 5, and 6, are unopposed.
Other races on the March 5 primary ballot for Macon County voters include U.S. President, N.C. Governor, N.C. Lieutenant Governor, N.C. Attorney General, N.C. Auditor, N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture, N.C. Commissioner of Insurance, N.C. Commissioner of Labor, N.C. Secretary of State, N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction, N.C. Treasurer, N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice and N.C. Court of Appeals.
According to state law, the State Board of Elections randomly decides the order in which names will be on the primary and general election ballot in partisan races. The letter “D” came out of the machine first, meaning candidates whose last name begins with a “D” will appear first in primary and general election contests. A coin flip then determined the order. Heads meant alphabetical order and tails meant reverse alphabetical order. The coin landed heads, meaning candidates will be listed by the first letter of their last name starting with D and going through Z, then from A to C.
The 2024 primary will be March 5 with early, one-stop voting running Feb. 15 through March 2. The last day to register to vote in the primary is Feb. 9. Absentee by mail voting begins Jan. 12.