SALISBURY — A local Republican on Thursday filed for the Rowan County District Attorney race in addition to a Charlotte Democrat who is vying for the area’s congressional seat.

Former Rowan Assistant District Attorney Paxton Butler, a Republican, filed for district attorney, a position held by fellow Republican Brandy Cook for more than a decade. Cook is also seeking re-election. Butler is currently an attorney at Davis and Davis Law Firm.

Scott Huffman, a Democrat from Charlotte, filed for the newly drawn 8th Congressional District, which will include all of Rowan, Davidson, Stanly, Montgomery, Union and Anson counties, along with parts of Cabarrus County and most of Richmond County. Huffman unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Ted Budd in the 2020 general election for the 13th Congressional District.

In North Carolina, congressional candidates are not required to live in the district where they seek office.

Republican Dan Bishop, also from Charlotte, is seeking election to the 8th District. He currently represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District and is a former state House and Senate member.

Also on Thursday, a few more candidates added their names to the U.S. Senate race, which now has 24 candidates. Candidates who filed Thursday include Brendan Kyran “B. K.” Maginnis, a Democrat from Charlotte, Marjorie K. Eastman, a Republican from Cary and David Flaherty, a Republican from Cameron.