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Murphy – Candidate filing for the primary election will resume at 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, and continue until noon Friday, March 4, according to the N.C. Board of Elections.
The filing period was suspended Dec. 8 pending the outcome of legal challenges to the state’s newly redistricted political map. The delay pushed the primary from March 8 to May 17.
On Jan. 11, a three-judge panel upheld the state legislative and congressional district maps that had been challenged in court. As a result of the court’s decision, Cherokee County is now within the 14th Congressional District represented by U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), who announced in November that he will run for a seat in the newly drawn District 13.
Anyone wishing to file for office should visit the Board of Elections at 40 Peachtree St., Suite B. Residents planning to vote in the primary must be registered by Friday, April 22.
Early voting is scheduled for April 28 through May 14 and includes three Saturdays.
Candidates who filed for county office prior to the December suspension are all Republicans:
- Board of Commissioners: Cal Stiles (incumbent, District 1), Steve Jordan (District 1); Ben Adams (District 3), John Worden (District 3), Mark Kephart (District 3); Dan Eichenbaum (incumbent, District 4), John Midkiff (District 4).
- Board of Education: Steve Coleman (at-large); Allen Denny (District 2); Jason Murphy (District 3), Jose Barreiro (District 3), Leslie Gibson (District 3).
- Sheriff: Joe Wood, Dustin D. Smith, Heath Woodard.
- Clerk of Superior Court: Roger Gibson (incumbent).