Candidate filing closed at noon on Friday, March 4, setting the ballot for the May 17 primary. Local races will include sheriff, county commissioners (District 1 and District 2), Clerk of Superior Court and Register of Deeds.
Incumbent Register of Deeds Todd Raby is running unopposed. Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Macon) is also running unopposed to retain his District 120 seat representing Macon, Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties in the state House of Representatives.
Moving into the November election, incumbent State Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) will face challenger Karen Burnette McCracken of Almond who filed to run on the Democrat ticket for the 50th District senatorial seat.
The May primary, and possible July runoff, may determine the winner of the sheriff’s race since no Democrats filed to run against the field of five Republicans. A candidate is required to get 30% of the vote. If that does not happen, there can be a call for a runoff. If there is a local run-off only, the date will be July 5; if there is a runoff for federal races the date will be July 26.
The statewide primary will be Tuesday, May 17. One-stop, in-person early voting will begin Thursday, April 28 and run through Saturday, May 14 at 3 p.m.
Early voting will be held at the Macon County Community Building on Georgia Road and the Highlands Civic Center on North 4th Street. Hours will be Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. and Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Absentee ballots will be available beginning March 28. May 10 is the last day for civilians to request an absentee ballot for the primary. May 17 is the deadline to return civilian absentee ballots.
Voter registration deadline to vote in the statewide primary is April 22.
Below is a list of candidates who filed to run in the primary.
County Commission District 1 (one seat) – John Shearl (R) and Don Willis (R)
County Commission District 2 (two seats) – Ronnie Beale (D), Betty Cloer Wallace (D); Danny Antoine (R), and Gregg Jones (R), Richard Lightner (R), Danny Reitmeier (R), Gary Shields (R)
Clerk of Superior Court – Dinah Roper Mashburn (D); Shawna Thun Lamb (R), Justin Stamey (R), Mike Trammel (R)
Register of Deeds – Todd Raby (D)
Sheriff – Bob Cook, Chris Browning, Clay Bryson, Brent Holbrooks and Dereck E. Jones (all Republican)
District Court Races
NC Superior Court District 30A – William H. (Bill) Coward (R)
NC District Court Judge District 30A Seat 1 – Donna Forga (R)
NC District Court Judge District 30A Seat 2 – Kristina Lynn Earwood (R)
NC District Court Judge District 30A Seat 3 – Roy Wijewickrama (D)
District Attorney District 43 – Ashley Hornsby Welch (R)
State Races
Senate District 50 – Karen Burnette McCracken (D); Kevin Corbin (R)
House of Representatives District 120 – Karl Gillespie (R-Macon)
U.S. Races
House of Representatives District 11 – Katie Dean (D), Bo Hess (D), Jasmine Beach-Ferrara (D), Marco Gutierrez (D), Bynum Lunsford (D), Jay Carey (D); David Adam Coatney (L); Bruce O’Connell (R), Wendy Marie-Limbaugh Nevarez (R), Matthew Burril (R), Chuck Edwards (R), Rod Honeycutt (R), Madison Cawthorn (R), Michelle V. Woodhouse (R), Kristie Sluder (R).
Senate – Constance (Lov) Johnson (D), Rett Newton (D), Chrelle Booker (D), Cheri Beasley (D), Greg Antoine (D), Alyssia Rose-Katherine Hammond (D), Tobias LaGrone (D), Marcus Williams (D), James L. Carr Jr. (D), B.K. Maginnis (D), Robert Colon (D); Shannon W. Bray (L); Jen Banwart (R), Ms. Lee A. Brian (R), Benjamin E. Griffiths (R), Charles Kenneth Moss (R), Lichia Sibhatu (R), Pat McCrory (R), Drew Bulecza (R), Ted Budd (R), Lenoard L. Bryant (R), Kenneth Harper Jr. (R), Mark Walker (R), Marjorie K. Eastman (R), David Flaherty (R), Debora Tshiovo (R).
For more information, contact the Macon County Board of Elections at 828-349-2034 or visit the website at maconnc.org/board-of-elections.