Local candidates file for municipal elections

ROCKINGHAM — Candidates for the 2021 municipal elections began filing for the race on Friday, and it’s been all incumbents so far.

The race is nonpartisan. Six incumbents filed for their candidacy on the first day of the filing period. Hamlet Councilman Eddie Martin was first in line Friday, filing for his 3rd term on the council, followed by Hamlet Mayor Pro Tem Jesse McQueen, who is filing for his 4th term on the council. Rockingham Councilman Gene Willard filed for his 6th term on the council.

Dobbins Heights Councilwoman Angeline David has filed for her 5th term on the council.

Each of them are running again for city council.

Next was Rockingham Mayor Steve Morris filing for his 4th term as mayor to continue his 21-year career on the Rockingham City Council, followed by Hamlet Mayor Bill Bayless who was also filing for his 4th term. Bayless has served on the Hamlet City Council for a total of 14 years.

Rockingham City Councilwoman Denise Sullivan was next, filing for her 4th term.

Asked if the recent breakthrough in relations between the county and municipalities following the approval of a deal on revenue sharing has opened up new possibilities for their potential new terms, McQueen and Martin nodded as they filled out their paper work.

“I hope so, I hope so,” McQueen said.

Important dates

The filing period for candidates for the 2021 municipal elections runs from July 2 to noon Friday, July 16. For information about how to file, call the Richmond County Board of Elections at 910-997-8253 or visit the Board of Elections at 221 S. Hancock St. in Rockingham.

The voter registration deadline for the Ellerbe, Hamlet, Hoffman and Rockingham elections is Oct. 8, 2021, and Election Day will be held on Nov. 2, 2021. The voter registration deadline for the Dobbins Heights election is Sept. 10, 2021 and Election Day will be Oct. 5, 2021 with a possible runoff election on Nov. 2, 2021.

The mayors of each municipality except for the Town of Dobbins Heights are up for reelection. For city or town council, there are two seats up for reelection in Dobbins Heights, three seats and one expired term in Ellerbe, two seats in Hamlet, five seats in Hoffman and three seats in Rockingham. Norman’s representatives are not up for reelection until 2023.

The candidates up for reelection in each municipality are as follows:

Dobbins Heights

• Angeline David

• Tyre’ Holloway

Ellerbe

• Mayor — Fred Cloninger

• Jean Fletcher

• Elsie Freeman

• Archie Robinson

• John Sears, Jr. *term expiring

Hamlet

• Mayor — Bill Bayless

• Eddie Martin

• Jesse McQueen

Hoffman

• Mayor — Tommy Hart

• Riccardo Anderson

• Rory Jones

• Daniel Kelly

• Cynthia Northcutt

• John Taylor

Rockingham

• Mayor — Steve Morris

• Anne M. Edwards

• Denise A. Sullivan

• Gene Willard

The filing period for the 2022 county, state and federal elections begins at noon on Dec. 6, 2021 and ends at noon on Dec. 27, 2021. The voter registration deadline for this the 2022 primary election is Feb. 11, 2022 and the primary election will be held on March 8, 2022.