ASHEBORO — Asheboro mayor David Smith, who first elected to that position in 2009, will run unopposed in November’s election, while there are six candidates for four spots on the city council.
Incumbent council members Clark Bell, Walker Moffitt and Katie Snuggs will have challenges from Kelly Heath, William (Bill) McCaskill and Delilah Perkins Warner. Linda Carter isn’t running for re-election for a board spot.
For the Asheboro City Schools board of education, there will be seven names on the ballot for four open positions. Vice chair Baxter Hammer and Beth Knott are aiming to remain on the board.
Other candidates are Todd Dulaney, Adam Hurley, Hailey Trollinger Lee, Kathryn Thill and Bob Williams. Archie Priest and Art Martinez didn’t file to keep their expiring terms on the 11-member board of education.
In the Town of Franklinville, Perry Conner seeks his fifth term as mayor with a challenge from AC Hurley, who has been a town commissioner for more than 20 years. Conner has been mayor since 2011 after a pair of four-year terms on the town council.
Candidates for the Franklinville town commissioner seats are Ricky J. Collins, William (Billy) Farias, Richard Goodwin, Brandon Hurley, Michael Johnston and Craig Smith. Goodwin is in his third term while Brandon Hurley – AC Hurley’s son — is also an incumbent.
In Liberty, Filmore York will run unopposed for mayor to keep his position. Town commissioner seats will be up for grabs with Terry Caviness challenging incumbents Larry Coble and Chris Compton and mayor pro tempore Tyson Nixon.
In Ramseur, town commissioner candidates are Diana Brower, Wayne Carroll and incumbent Joy Hooker for two seats. Tanya Kenyon isn’t seeking to retain her seat.
On the Town of Seagrove ballot, incumbent David Fernandez is unopposed for mayor. For town commissioner, the candidates are incumbent Ed Walker (6139 Auman Farm Road) and Sandra Walker (P.O Box 236).
The Town of Staley ballot shows only Karen Scotton seeking to remain mayor. Town commissioner spots had a similar pattern, with only incumbents Renee Harrelson, Faye Johnson, Janet Langley Lambert, Lori Lynn Langley-Hankins and Steve Rollins Sr. filing for the five two-year terms.
There are a small number of Randolph County residents living within Thomasville city limits. The mayor’s race in Thomasville consists of Joe Leonard and Raleigh York Jr. Current mayor Greg Hobbs isn’t running, while major pro tem David Hufstetler isn’t on the ballot either.
The Thomasville city council has 12 candidates for two slots. Those candidates are Ronald Bratton, Ronald Fowler, Doug Hunt, JacQuez Johnson, Eric Kuppel, Katrina Milburn, Wendy Bryant Sellars, Lisa Shell, Jeannette Shepherd, Dee Stokes, D. Hunter Thrift and Payton Williams. Fowler and Sellars both live on Memorial Park Drive. Incumbent Todd Mobley, who holds a city-wide at-large spot, isn’t seeking re-election.
The filing period for spots on ballots in Randleman and Trinity runs from July 26 through noon Aug. 13.
Election Day is Nov. 2.
Early voting to be discussed
Some specifics of early voting in Randolph County will be ironed out during the county’s board of elections meeting Aug. 10, Board of Elections director Melissa Johnson said.
Last week’s July meeting was smooth, she said.
“This was mostly very routine,” Johnson said. “The next one might be different.”
The 2021 election with numerous municipal seats up for grabs is generally considered a smaller election.
Johnson said Randolph County usually has just one early voting location – at the board of elections office on North Fayetteville Street in Asheboro.
She said inquiries with officials in towns around the county haven’t generated much interest in setting up other early voting sites.
Also at the July meeting, the five members of the county board of elections were approved to retain their spots on the panel. They are chair Margaret Megerian, Republicans Darren Allen and Mary Jane Pugh and Democrats Tiffany Alston and Chapin Pierre Oldham. Alston is from Archdale, while the others live in Asheboro.
