By Karissa Minn
kminn@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Nine Republicans, six Democrats and no incumbents will compete for two open seats on the Rowan County Board of Commissioners.
North Carolina’s filing period for most political races ended at noon Wednesday.
Minutes before the deadline, Republican Mac Butner and Democrat Jack Eller became the last two candidates to be added to the ballot for county commissioner, bringing the total to 15 — two more than the number of candidates who ran for three seats in 2010.
Earlier Wednesday morning, Democrat Ralph Walton filed to enter the same race.
Commissioners Carl Ford and Raymond Coltrain are not seeking re-election to the five-member county board.
Ford instead will oppose Dr. Eric Troyer, a physician and fellow China Grove resident, in the Republican primary for N.C. House District 76. The primary is May 8.
John Williams filed Wednesday as the lone Democrat running in the 76th district.
Rep. Fred Steen, who currently holds that seat, is running for U.S. House District 8.
Newly drawn legislative districts, such as the 76th, attracted only a handful of candidates in the Rowan area who want to serve in the N.C. General Assembly.
N.C. Rep. Harry Warren, a Republican serving his first term representing the 77th district, has one Democratic challenger: Bill Batterman of Salisbury.
N.C. Sen. Andrew Brock of Mocksville, a Republican from Davie County who has been in the General Assembly for 10 years, has no opposition. The 34th district he represents used to include all of Rowan County. Redistricting took out seven southern precincts.
Those precincts went into state Senate District 25, which stretches all the way to Rockingham. This district will see Democrat and Republican primaries. Democratic candidates are Gene McLaurin of Rockingham and Daniel Wilson of Wadesboro. Republican candidates are Gene McIntyre of New London and Jack T. Benoy of Albemarle.
Sen. William Purcell, a Democrat from Laurinburg who has represented the 25th district for more than 14 years, did not file for re-election.
Primary elections for those offices will be held May 8, but filing for other offices will take place later.
One Rowan Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor will be elected this year. Filing for that office starts at noon June 11 and ends at noon July 6.
And voters will choose three Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education members — to represent the East, Salisbury and Southeast districts. Filing starts at noon July 20 and ends at noon Aug. 17 for those seats.
Here’s a list of the candidates who filed for offices representing Rowan County:
Rowan commissioner
Democrats
• Thomas J. “Jack” Eller of Woodleaf.
• Corey Hill of Salisbury.
• Travis Summit of Cleveland.
• Ralph M. Walton of Salisbury.
• Leda Shuping Belk of Salisbury.
• Carrol Crawford of Mount Ulla.
Republicans
• Carl Dangerfield of Rockwell.
• William “Bill” Feather of Granite Quarry.
• Laura Eller Hutchison of Mount Ulla.
• Joel Johnson of Rockwell.
• Gene Miller of Salisbury.
• Craig Pierce of Salisbury.
• Gus Andrews of Salisbury.
• Mac Butner of Salisbury.
• Mike Caskey of Kannapolis.
State Senate District 25
Democrats
• Gene McLaurin of Rockingham.
• Daniel Wilson of Wadesboro.
Republicans
• Gene McIntyre of New London.
• Jack T. Benoy of Albemarle.
State Senate District 34
Democrats
• None
Republicans
• Andrew C. Brock of Mocksville. (Incumbent)
N.C. House of Representatives District 76
Democrats
• John Williams of Salisbury.
Republicans
• Carl Ford of China Grove.
• Eric Troyer of China Grove.
N.C. House of Representatives District 77
Democrats
• William H. Battermann of Salisbury.
• Harry Warren of Salisbury. (Incumbent)
District Court Judge District 19C
• Marshall Bickett of Salisbury. (Incumbent)
Kannapolis Board of Education
• Dianne P. Berry of Kannapolis.
• Doris H. Buchanan of Kannapolis. (Incumbent)
• Charles Mitchell of Kannapolis. (Incumbent)
• Todd Adams of Kannapolis. (Incumbent)