N.C. Senate, House primary races are set

The new filing period for candidates running for state legislature positions in the upcoming Sept. 10 primary ended last Friday at 5 p.m., but not without activity, according to information provided by Director of Elections Karen K. Fender.

Filing in the 45th Senate District, which includes Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga and Caldwell, were three additional candidates. Incumbent Sen. Virginia Foxx's filing was reported last week. Facing Foxx in the Republican primary is another incumbent Republican, Sen. Kenneth Moore of Caldwell County. While both Moore and Foxx are incumbent senators, this will be their first try at the new district, which is comprised of parts of both Senators' former constituencies.

The winner of the Republican primary will face Libertarian newcomer Marlene Grig of Ashe County and Democratic newcomer Mollie Marlene C. Laws of Wilkes County in the November general election, both of whom have automatic bids to make the ballot because they are unopposed in the primary.

In the North Carolina House of Representatives race, several filed early last week for the 90th District, which includes Alleghany County and the western part of Surry County. The earlier filings, reported in last week's edition of The Alleghany News, included Democrats Todd Harris and Jim Harrell and Republicans R.F. "Buck" Golding and Melvin T. Jackson. All four of those filing for election live in Surry County. Harris is a member of the Mount Airy Board of Commissioners, while Golding and Jackson are both former members of the Surry County Board of Commissioners.

The general election is scheduled for Nov. 5. However, early, or one-stop, voting is slated to begin on Thursday, Aug. 22. Registered voters may utilize the one-stop option at the local board of elections office, which is now on West Whitehead Street in Sparta (N.C. 18 south), at the intersection with Jones Street. The one-stop voting is now 'no excuse,' meaning that it may be utilized by any registered voter.

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