Candidates for 2021 municipal elections set

ROCKINGHAM — The filing period for the municipal elections in November has closed, with a number of challengers for mayoral seats, and other new faces pushing to earn a spot on local councils.

On the final day of filing, two last-minute candidates for mayor signed the dotted line. Brenda T. Capel will challenge incumbent Fred Cloninger for mayor of Ellerbe, and Michael McRae will run against incumbent Steve Morris and the current mayor pro tem, John Hutchinson, for mayor of Rockingham.

Also on Friday, three more candidates filed to run for city council. Jeff Benson and Chris Turner are running for Rockingham City Council, and John Sears Jr. has filed to run for a full term on the Ellerbe Town Council after being appointed in place of Joe Grooms last fall.

Those who were up for reelection who have not filed are Hoffman Town Councilman John Taylor and Ellerbe Town Councilman Archie Robinson.

The full list of candidates for each race, which are nonpartisan, is as follows:

***List in alphabetical order by last name, incumbents have “(inc.)” next to their names***

Dobbins Heights

Mayor: n/a

Town Council:

• Angeline David (inc.)

• Tyre’ Holloway (inc.)

• Mary Magee

Ellerbe

Mayor:

• Brenda T. Capel

• Fred Cloninger (inc.)

Town Council:

• Jean C. Fletcher (inc.)

• Elsie L. Freeman (inc.)

• Thomas R. Grooms

• Bennett Hawks

• John Sears, Jr. (running for full term)

Hamlet

Mayor:

• Bill Bayless (inc.)

City Council:

• Eddie Martin (inc.)

• Jesse McQueen (inc.)

Hoffman

Mayor:

• Tommy Hart (inc.)

Town Council:

• Riccardo Anderson (inc.)

• Kyonna Jones

• Rory K. Jones (inc.)

• Daniel Kelly (inc.)

• Cynthia A. Northcutt (inc.)

Norman

Mayor: n/a

Town Council: n/a

Rockingham

Mayor:

• John Hutchinson

• Michael McRae

• Steve Morris (inc.)

City Council:

• Jeff Benson

• Anne M. Edwards (inc.)

• Denise Sullivan (inc.)

• Chris Turner

• Gene Willard (inc.)

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.