Palombo, Ipock file for office

Frank Palombo of New Bern made his candidacy for Congress official Wednesday, stopping first at the Craven County Board of Elections office before taking the paperwork to the North Carolina Board of Elections in Raleigh.

By 5 p.m., the retired New Bern police chief, who has been actively campaigning for several months, was listed on the state board’s website as a Republican candidate for U.S. House District 3. He is a primary challenger to incumbent Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-NC, who filed Feb. 13.

Palombo said his challenge comes because “I love this country…but somewhere along the way, we have lost our direction” and he blames lack of leadership as the reason.

“We can no longer afford career politicians who care more about their re-election rather than doing the right thing,” Palombo said. “We all deserve better than what we are getting and, if I am elected, I will give no less than my best and no more than three terms in Congress.”

Palombo, opposed to Jones’ alliances with more liberal congressmen in his anti-war stance, said: “He says he supports our military while he consistently votes against strong conservative legislation.”

Craven County Board of Education Chairman Carr Ipock has also tossed his hat in the ring for a sixth term in the District 1 seat. School board candidates must live in the district for which they file but are elected by a countywide vote.

A new primary and general election contest emerged in filing this week for the N.C. House District 10 seat now held by Stephen LaRoque, R-Kinston, who filed Wednesday for reelection to the seat for the district that now includes some of Craven County.

Republican contender John Bell of Goldsboro filed last week. Listed today on the State Board of Election filing website is Democratic challenger James Lynwood “Babe” Hardison of Kinston, who had recently announced he would run.

Hardison is a conservative Democrat, Vietnam veteran, CPA, and farmer who has been assistant superintendent of schools in both Lenoir and Wayne counties.

He has served for 12 years on the Lenoir County Community College Board of Trustees, where he is finance chairman and has singled out fiscal control as a campaign issue.

Filing continues through noon Feb. 29.

Sue Book can be reached at 252-635-5665 or sbook@freedomenc.com. Follow her on Twitter @SueJBook.