One empty seat left after Pamlico election filing extension ends

BAYBORO — A five-day filing extension for Pamlico County municipal elections filled all but one spot among 47 available elected seats in the November election.

The extension was granted by the county elections board last week because Vandemere, Arapahoe and Grantsboro did not have full slates of candidates. Only Vandemere lacks one of its five commissioners’ seats after filing ended at noon Friday.

County elections director Lisa Bennett said that seat would be filled by write-in votes.

Although there are 37 board seats and eight mayors in nine towns up for re-election, there will be only one contested race. That is for mayor of Oriental, where incumbent Bill Sage faces opposition from current commissioner Jennifer Roe and former tourism board chairman Katy Pugh.

The Oriental board will have at least three new members, with only two incumbents — Barb Venturi and Sherrill Styron — seeking re-election.

Bayboro is the only county town with staggered terms, with three commissioners seats open this year. Vennie Himbry will seek to fill the seat held by her late husband Joe Himbry, who died in August 2010. He was also mayor pro-tem.

In Arapahoe, incumbent commissioner Carolyn Paradis did not run again.

Two Gransboro incumbents did not re-file — Sarah Alice Harris and David Pickell. Grantsboro Mayor Clifton Stowe died in March and longtime board member Alfred Cahoon was appointed mayor. He is seeking re-election. Cahoon and Stowe were the two leaders in incorporating the town in the late 1990s.

In Minnesott Beach, Commissioner Dave Stewart did not run again, but former commissioner Charles Salter is seeking another term.

Incumbent mayors and boards in Alliance, Mesic and Stonewall all re-filed.

The next date on the elections’ calendar is Aug. 16, when the country elections board meets at 10 a.m. at the courthouse to appoint precinct officials for the Nov. 8 general election.

Bennett said the chairmen of the local Democratic and Republican parties are consulted on the appointments, which will include a chief judge and two assistant judges for each of the county’s 10 precincts.

For municipal elections, the county has eight precincts for its nine towns, with Minnesott Beach included at the Arapahoe polling place. For general elections such as the one in 2012, the county has those eight precincts plus the communities of Hobucken and Reelsboro.

Charlie Hall can be reached at 252-635-5667 or chall@freedomenc.com