Fifty-six candidates will be on the ballot for Macon County’s 2026 primary election, running for 18 local, state and national seats.
On Thursday and Friday there was an influx of candidates filing before the deadline of noon Friday, Dec. 19.
For the District 1 commissioner seat, Russ Lunn will have the Democratic nomination, while Don Willis, Joey Wilson and incumbent John Shearl will run on the Republican ticket.
Six Republicans are vying for the nomination for the two District 2 commissioner seats: Dylan Castle, Jason Salmon, Danny Reitmeier, Nick Lofthouse, Kellie McConnell Burns and David Culpepper. Voters will vote for two with the top two advancing to the November election. Democrats Terry Bell and Janet Jacobs Greene will be on the ballot in November for the District 2 race. Gary Shields and Danny Antoine, who currently hold the seats, are not running for reelection.
Nick Lofthouse is the patrol captain with the Sheriff’s Office. According to the UNC School of Government, certain county employees can run for commissioner. School of Government lawyer Frayda Bluestein said, “A local school teacher who works under the guidance of the School Board, a DSS employee who works under the direction of the DSS Board, or a Sheriff’s Office employee who works under the direction of the sheriff, could all hold the position as county commissioner, provided that safeguards are taken so that board member employee abstains from voting on issues applicable to the department that they serve. This would specifically include not voting on the budget line appropriated to their department.”
That means a county employee such as Lofthouse would still be able to run for a county commissioner’s seat and continue to work for the Sheriff’s Office, but a county employee who serves under the Board of Commissioners would have to resign from the position if they won their election.
For the Sheriff’s Office, Bob Cook and incumbent Brent Holbrooks will both run as Republicans.
Incumbent Todd Raby will have the Republican nomination in the Register of Deeds race.
Incumbent Shawna Thun Lamb will have the Republican nomination in the Clerk of Superior Court race.
State races
N.C. Senate District 50: Incumbent Kevin Corbin (R) of Franklin and Tom Downing (D) of Cullowhee.
N.C. House of Representatives District 120: Karl Gillespie (R) of Franklin and Caleb Brown (D) of Highlands.
N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 1: Incumbent Anita Earls (D) of Durham and Sarah Stevens (R) of Mount Airy.
N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Seat 1: Incumbent John S. Arrowood (D) of Charlotte, Matt Smith (R) of Monroe and Michael C. Byrne (R) of Cary.
N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Seat 2: Incumbent Toby Hampson (D) of Raleigh and George Cooper Bell (R) of Cornelius.
N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Seat 3: James Weldon Whalen (D) of Raleigh, Christine Marie Walczyk (D) of Raleigh and Craig Collins (R) of Gastonia.
District Court Judge District 43 Seat 1: Donna Forga (R) of Clyde. Seat 2: Justin B. Greene (D) Bryson City. Seat 3: William (Bill) Jones (D) of Waynesville.
District Attorney District 43: Ashley Hornsby Welch (R) of Canton.
Federal races
For U.S. Senate, all candidates will be running to replace the seat currently held by the retiring Thom Tillis. Democrats: Roy Cooper of Raleigh, Daryl Farrow of Jacksonville, Marcus W. Williams of Lumberton, Orrick Quick of High Point, Justin E. Dues of Concord and Robert Colon of Rocky Point. Libertarian: Shannon W. Bray of Angier. Republican: Elizabeth A. Temple of Smithfield, Donald M. (Don) Brown of Waxhaw, Michael Whatley of Gastonia, Margot Dupre of Charlotte, Thomas Johnson of Garner and, Michele Morrow of Cary and Richard Dansie of Durham.
U.S. House – Democrats: Jamie Ager of Fairview, Paul Maddox of Burnsville, Richard Hudspeth of Asheville, Zelda Briarwood of Canton and Lee Whipple of Asheville. Libertarian: Travis Groo of Greensboro. Republican: Incumbent Chuck Edwards of Flat Rock and Adam R. Smith of Black Mountain.
Voting information
The registration deadline for the primary is Friday, Feb. 6. Early voting for the election will run from Thursday, Feb. 12, to Saturday, Feb. 28. The primary election will be held on March 3.
- Shelby Powell
reporter@thefranklinpress.com