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County and municipal candidate filing also will resume on February 24 and take place at the county board of elections offices. Contact the specific county office for hours of operation and COVID-19 protocols.
Candidate filing for North Carolina’s 2022 primary elections, as well as rescheduled municipal elections, will resume at 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, and end at noon on Friday, March 4, under an order issued Tuesday by the Superior Court of Wake County.
The 260-page order by a three-judge panel upheld state legislative and congressional district maps being challenged in redistricting-related lawsuits.
“These consolidated cases present this Court with the unique challenge of balancing the competing interests of fairness, the role of the judiciary, statutory and constitutional construction, the interpretation of prior court rulings, and good old fashion common sense,” according to the opinion from Judges Graham Shirley and Nathaniel Poovey, both Republicans, and Dawn Layton, a Democrat. “Sometimes, courts are required to make decisions that are not popular, but because judges take an oath to uphold the law, those rulings are mandated,” they added. “And sometimes, redress of a perceived wrong does not lie with the judiciary, but rather, with one of the other co-equal branches of government.”
“All of Plaintiffs’ claims in these lawsuits, in essence, stem from the basic argument that the 2021 redistricting maps passed by the North Carolina General Assembly are unconstitutional under the North Carolina Constitution,” the judges wrote. “We have taken great lengths to examine that document. At the end of the day, after carefully and fully conducting our analysis, it is clear that Plaintiffs’ claims must fail. Judges, just like many of the citizens they serve, do not always like the results they reach. That fact notwithstanding, judges have a solemn duty to uphold the law. We have done our best to perform that duty, regardless of the consequences.”
The three-judge panel’s ruling spells out the current restraints on lawmakers drawing N.C. election maps. “[T]oday there are four objective constraints delineated in the North Carolina Constitution: (1) apportionment of the district by population such that the representative or senators in each district shall represent, as nearly as may be, an equal number of inhabitants; (2) A contiguity requirement; (3) a Whole County Provision; and (4) a Mid-Decade Provision,” the judges wrote. “At no point has restriction of redistricting for partisan advantage ever been made part of any North Carolina Constitution.”
County and municipal candidate filing also will resume on February 24 and take place at the county board of elections offices. Contact the specific county office for hours of operation and COVID-19 protocols.
“State Board of Elections staff will immediately begin preparing for the continuation of the candidate filing period, including securing a location to ensure the health and safety of staff and candidates,” said Karen Brinson Bell, State Board executive director. “We will provide all details to the public as soon as possible at NCSBE.gov and through an announcement distributed to the media.”
In Macon County, several candidates filed before filing was delayed, below are the candidates who have filed so far:
Sheriff
Robert Holland announced in June that he would not run for re-election after serving since 2002. Five Republicans have already indicated they will run for sheriff – Clay Bryson, Derek Jones, Robert (Bob) Cook, Brent Holbrooks and Chris Browning. No Democrats have contacted the Macon County Board of Elections office about running, according to Deputy Director Gary Tallent.
County Commissioners
Jim Tate, who represents District 1 on the Board of County Commissioners, has said he is not running for re-election. Tate has served as a commissioner since 2011, but feels it is time to move onto other pursuits and give someone else an opportunity to serve.
“Public service is a calling and one I have taken seriously,” Tate said when announcing his decision at the October commissioners meeting. District 1 includes the Ellijay, Sugarfork, Highlands and Flats precincts.
Don Willis Jr. is the only person filed.
Jerry Moore announced he would be running for Tate’s seat last week. He is currently in the process of securing 1,087 signatures from registered voters of Macon County.
“I am running for the position of Macon County Commissioner to serve all of Macon County and District 1 as we face challenges associated with an expanding population, the need for additional education infrastructure and creating a pathway for job opportunities for our citizens,” Moore said in a statement. “I do not believe government can cure all the ills of our society, but it does play a role in providing certain services the private sector is unable to deliver effectively. If I am elected, I will work hard to make sure we solve the problems of Macon County in the most effective way possible, and I will strive to be a good steward of Macon County tax dollars.”
Petitions can be found at Kilwin’s Chocolates and Ice Cream, Bear Mountain Outfitters and Highlands Decorating Center.
The other two county commissioner seats up for election are for District 2 and currently held by Gary Shields and Ronnie Beale. Shields, who was elected in 2014, has submitted his statement of organization to run for re-election. In addition to Shields, four other Republicans have submitted their statements of organization – Gregg Jones, Richard Lightner, Daniel Reitmeier and Danny Antoine. Beale, who was elected in 2006, has not indicated if he will run for re-election.
District 2 includes the Franklin, Millshoal, Smithbridge, and Flats precincts. Three representatives from the district serve on the Board of Commissioners. The third District 2 commissioner is Josh Young, who will be up for election in 2024. The commissioners serve four-year terms.
Clerk of Court
Longtime Clerk of Court Vic Perry is not running for re-election. Republicans Mike Trammel, Justin Stamey and Shawna Lamb have all submitted paperwork indicating they will run for office, which is a four-year term.
State Races
In state elections, both District 120 Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Macon) and Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) are up for re-election. Gillespie is currently serving his first term in the House of Representatives for the district including Macon, Clay, Cherokee and Graham counties. He said he would run for re-election in 2022.
Corbin, who represents District 50 in the state Senate, recently announced he would run for re-election after opting not to make a run for the new 14th District U.S. congressional seat.
Congressman Madison Cawthorn will not run for re-election in the 14th District and will instead run in the 13th District.
Local Highlander Ken McKim announced he would be running for Cawthorn’s seat.
Meanwhile, a separate court order on Jan. 11, ordered the suspension of the consideration of any challenges to candidates for U.S. House, N.C. House, and N.C. Senate, until final resolution of the litigation in the redistricting cases, North Carolina League of Conservation Voters v. Hall. Such a challenge was filed against a congressional candidate on Monday, Jan. 10, and the State Board was planning to appoint a panel to hear that challenge during a meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 12, as required by state law. In accordance with the court’s order, the State Board canceled its meeting, and consideration of that pending challenge is postponed until resolution of the redistricting cases.
- By Christopher Lugo