SALISBURY — At noon, on the nose, Danny Gabriel kicked off this year’s municipal election season by filing for the Cleveland mayorship.
Cleveland’s four open seats this year are among the more than 40 up for grabs in municipalities across the county. The municipal filing period began at noon Friday and runs until noon July 19.
After 19 years of serving as a commissioner — including as mayor pro tem the last term — Gabriel called his mayoral candidacy “a natural transition.”
“I’ve been sitting there for 19 years. I know a lot of the regulations. The way things are supposed to be done,” Gabriel said. “I think it’s just a natural progression to go to the next step and see if I can keep leading the town.”
Cleveland is one of seven municipalities, including Kannapolis and Salisbury, with mayoral seats at stake.
With all five city council seats available, Salisbury is sure to be one of the most notable races of the season.
Several others filed Friday, including:
• Cleveland Commissioner — Richard L. Taylor
• East Spencer Alderman — Tammy Corpening (Incumbent)
• Granite Quarry Alderman — Michael Brinkley
• Rockwell Mayor — Tim Draper

• Salisbury City Council — William C. Peoples Jr.
• Spencer Alderman — Jeff Morris (Incumbent)
Kannapolis City Council • — William Cranford

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The following municipal officials’ terms expire this year:
• China Grove: Town Council — four year terms — Brandon Linn, Charles Seaford, Mike Upright.
• Cleveland: Mayor — two year terms — John I. Steele Jr.
Commissioners — four year terms — Patrick T. Phifer, Travis Summitt, Danny Gabriel.
• East Spencer: Mayor — two year terms — Barbara Mallett.
Aldermen — four year terms — Phronice Johnson, Rosa Burris, Tammy L. Corpening.
• Faith: Aldermen — two year terms — W. Todd Peeler, Keith Deal, Gary Gardner, Bill Johnson, Gay Sanderson.
• Granite Quarry: Aldermen — four year terms — Eloise Peeler, Brad Kluttz.
• Kannapolis: Mayor — four year terms — Bob S. Misenheimer.
City Council — four year terms — R. Gene McCombs, Randy Cauthen, Darrell Hinnant.
• Landis: Aldermen — four year terms — Dennis Brown, D. Craig Sloop.
• Rockwell: Mayor — two year terms — Beau Taylor.
Aldermen — two year terms — Chuck Bowman, Charles Wingerson, Timothy Justin Crews, Eric Moore, Tim Draper
• Salisbury: City Council — two year terms — Paul Woodson, Maggie Blackwell, William (Pete) Kennedy, Karen Alexander, Brian Miller.
• Spencer: Mayor — two year terms — Jody Everhart.
Aldermen — two year terms — Jim Gobbel, Kevin Jones, Jeff Morris, Scott Benfield, David Smith, Reid Walters.

Contact reporter Nathan Hardin at 704-797-4246.