Sheriff, judicial candidates add names to 2022 ballot as filing continues

Published 9:47 pm Saturday, February 26, 2022

SALISBURY — As one Salisbury Republican on Friday formally filed for election in the Rowan County Sheriff’s race, two others from Salisbury made bids for the district court.

Brad Potts, a Republican, formally added his name to the crowded Rowan County Sheriff’s race. Potts is a retired state trooper who serves as a reserve police officer for the town of Cleveland.

He declared his candidacy last year and now officially joins five other Republican candidates seeking the office of sheriff, including Rowan County Commissioner and Charlotte police officer Mike Caskey; N.C. Highway Patrol retiree and school resource officer Tommie Cato; Rowan County Detention Center supervisor Capt. Greg Hannold; Rowan County Sheriff’s Detective and Rowan-Salisbury Schools Board of Education member Travis Allen; and trucking company owner Jack Eller from Woodleaf.

Former N.C. Highway Patrol trooper Carlton Killian, along with veteran and former corrections officer Simon Brown, are the only two Democrats who have filed for the sheriff’s race.

Republican incumbent Kevin Eddinger filed for a seat on the North Carolina District Court 19C, which has four seats up for grabs with four-year terms. Salisbury attorney Chris Sease, another Republican, also filed Friday for an open seat on the court. Sease and Eddinger are joined by incumbent Republicans Beth Dixon and James Randolph. Lauren Hoben, another Salisbury attorney, is a Republican challenger for the court.

In the congressional map accepted by a three-judge panel of the Superior Court, Rowan County will be in the 8th district for the 2022 election. It will include all of Rowan, Davidson, Stanly, Montgomery, Union and Anson counties and parts of Cabarrus and Richmond counties. U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop, a Republican who currently represents the 9th District and lives in Mecklenburg County, is now running for the redrawn 8th District.

On Saturday, Democrat Scott Huffman announced a bid for the 8th District as well. Huffman, who hasn’t formally filed, unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Ted Budd in the 2020 general election.

Also on Friday, former Republican Gov. Pat McCrory formally filed for U.S. Senate, hoping to fill a seat to be vacated by Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr. Drew Bulecza, a Republican from Lincolnton, also filed for election to the open Senate seat.

U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, a Republican from Davie County, is seeking the U.S. Senate seat and received an early endorsement from former President Donald Trump last summer. However, he has yet to formally file for office.

Candidate filing for the 2022 election will continue until noon on Friday.

About Natalie Anderson

Natalie Anderson covers the city of Salisbury, politics and more for the Salisbury Post. She joined the staff in January 2020 after graduating from Louisiana State University, where she was editor of The Reveille newspaper. Email her at natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com or call her at 704-797-4246.

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