WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Candidates who want to run for most local, state, federal or judicial offices in 2022 can file for office starting Monday, December 6 through Noon on Friday, December 17.
On the county level, races including county commissioner, school board, sheriff and clerk of court will be on the ballots in 2022. Voters will also decide biennial races for seats in the North Carolina House of Representatives and Senate and the United States House of Representatives. They will also cast ballots to fill the U.S. Senate seat held since 2004 by Richard Burr, who is not seeking a fourth term.
There will also be judicial races decided in 2022, including for district attorney and District Court Judge, along with seats on the North Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.
North Carolina’s statewide primary is scheduled for March 8, 2022. There could also be a second primary if no candidate in a race reaches the percentage of votes required to secure the nomination. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the second primary will take place either April 26 or May 17, depending on whether a federal office is involved.
Although the candidate filing period runs from Monday, December 6 to Noon on Friday, December 17, the deadline for individuals to register to vote in the primary election is February 11, 2022. One-stop early voting will begin February 17 and run through March 5.
The March 8 primary elections in Columbus County will also include municipal races in the City of Whiteville, which were among 30 across North Carolina pushed back from November 2021 to allow local governments more time to review and revise districts based on the late-arriving 2020 census data. The office of Whiteville Mayor, held by Terry Mann, will be up for election, along with the District 1 City Council seats held by Tim Blackmon and Helen Holden, and the District 2 City Council seat held by Tim Collier.
The filing period for seats on the Whiteville City and Columbus County Boards of Education are different than other county and rescheduled municipal elections. Since no primary election is scheduled for these races, the filing period will be from July 1 to July 15. Voters in Whiteville will decide three school board seats, Coleman Barbour’s At-Large seat, the District 1 seat of Anna Hall Richardson and the District 2 seat that David Flowers holds now on the board. Three seats on the county Board of Education will also be decided. They are the District 2 seat held by Ronnie Strickland, the District 3 held by Monte Herring and the seat from District 4 won in 2018 by Worley Edwards.
Columbus County Commissioner seats in Districts 1, 6 and 7, held by Jerome McMillian, Ricky Bullard and Charles McDowell, will be in front of voters in 2022. Voters in Columbus County will also decide the Clerk of Court and sheriff.
In Bladen County, Board of Commission seats currently held by Arthur Bullock (District 1), Charles Ray Peterson (District 2) and Cameron McGill (District 3) will be up for election. Board of Education seats held by Gary Rhoda (District 1), Roger Carroll (District 2), Alan West (District 3), Dennis Edwards (county-wide), Vinston Rozier (county-wide) and Cory Singletary (county-wide) will also be decided. Elections will also be held for Sheriff, Clerk of Court and Register of Deeds.
Brunswick County Commissioner seats in Districts 1 and 2, held by Randy Thompson and Marty Cooke, are up for election in 2022. Two seats on the school board will also be in front of voters, from Districts 3 and 5, held now by Robin Moffitt and Gerald Benton. Voters will also choose winners for Clerk of Court and Sheriff.
In New Hanover County, voters will fill two seats on the Board of Commissioners, which are currently held by Julia Olson Boseman and Rob Zapple. Zapple has already announced he plans to seek reelection. Four seats on the county Board of Education will also be decided, belonging to Stefanie Adams, Nelson Beaulieu, Judy Justice and Pete Wildeboer. Clerk of Court and Sheriff will also be elected.
Voters in Pender County will decide three seats on both the Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education. Commissioner seats in Districts 1, 2 and 3, held by David Williams, David Piepmeyer and George Brown will be up for election. Current terms for School Board members in Districts 1, 2 and 4, Cindy Faulk Fontana, Berth Burns and Ken Smith, will also be on the ballot. Voters will also decide the Clerk of Superior Court and sheriff races.
District attorney offices in front of voters include the 15th Prosecutorial District, which covers Brunswick, Bladen and Columbus counties and held now by Jon David, and the 6th District covering New Hanover and Pender counties, held by Ben David.
Also on the ballot will be several judicial seats in the 5th Judicial District, which includes New Hanover and Pender counties) and the 13th Judicial District (Bladen, Brunswick and Columbus counties). In District 5, District Court seats currently held by Judge Melinda Crouch, Judge James Faison, Judge Chad Hogston and Judge Lindsey McKee will be up for election, along with District 13 at-large seats filled now by Judge Quintin McGee and Judge Will Callihan. Four seats on North Carolina Court of Appeals will be in front of voters, as will a pair of seats on the NC Supreme Court.
Seats in North Carolina’s House of Representatives and Senate will be in front of voters in 2022, along with U.S. House seats and the United States Senate seat being vacated by Richard Burr. Lawmakers in Raleigh passed legislation redrawing the voting districts based on the 2020 Census data. But lawsuits filed against the maps could delay whether they take effect for the 2022 election cycle.
Voters in each county will also decide supervisors on local Soil and Water Conservation Districts. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the filing period for these candidates is scheduled from June 13, 2022 to July 1, 2022.
In Bladen County, two seats for Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor held now by Earl Storms and Charles Gillespie will be on the ballot. In Brunswick County, voters will elect Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor seats currently held by Elliot Swain and Jody Clemmons. Columbus County supervisor seats now held by Ronnie Strickland and Rashad Roberts are up for election, along with New Hanover County seats occupied now by Evan Folds and Frank Christopher Meares. Pender County voters will elect supervisors to fill seats held now by Douglas Rivenbark and Bill Murrell.
Here are other important dates to keep in mind regarding the March 8 primary elections (from www.ncsbe.gov):
- Jan. 17, 2022: County boards of elections begin mailing absentee ballots for the 2022 statewide primary to eligible voters who submitted an absentee ballot request form.
- Feb. 11, 2022: Civilian voter registration deadline for the 2022 statewide primary.
- Feb. 17, 2022: One-stop, in-person early voting period begins for the 2022 statewide primary.
- March 1, 2022: Deadline for civilians to submit an absentee ballot request form for the 2022 statewide primary.
- March 5, 2022: One-stop, in-person early voting period ends for the 2022 statewide primary.
- March 8, 2022: Election Day for the 2022 statewide primary and civilian absentee ballot return deadline.
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