Races taking shape in Carteret County

BEAUFORT — Candidate filing begins at noon today and Carteret County races are already taking shape.

Several contested races, including two primaries, are likely based on the campaigns that have already been organized.

The Carteret County Board of Commissioners has four seats up for election and at least two incumbents may see a challenge, with interest shown in the District 1 seat representing western Carteret County and the District 6 seat representing Down East.

Republican Robin Comer, a member of the Carteret County Planning Board, recently announced his plans to run for the District 1 seat. That would put him in a primary with Republican Richard Hunt of Cape Carteret, who was recently appointed to complete the unexpired term of former Commissioner Pete Allen.

Hunt plans to file today as a candidate for election to keep the seat.

“I’m enjoying working in county government and I’m interested in learning all that I can so that I can make good decision,” said Hunt.

The District 6 seat held by Jonathan Robinson is also being eyed by one possible challenger.

David A. “Clammerhead” Cessna has filed a statement of organization and notified the Board of Elections that he is petitioning to get on the November ballot as an unaffiliated candidate.

Commissioners Wade Nelms, who holds the District 2 seat, and Greg Lewis, who holds a District 3 seat, have each indicated they plan to run for re-election.

The candidate filing period for the 2010 elections opens at noon on today and ends at noon on Feb. 26. In Carteret County, candidate filing is done at the Board of Elections office in Beaufort.

Other county races include those for sheriff, clerk of court and register of deeds.

Sheriff Asa Buck, a Republican, plans to file today for re-election to a second term, keeping his promise of a long-term commitment.

Republican Paul Ehrler, a police officer with the Town of Pine Knoll Shores, has a campaign well under way and confirmed Friday that he will file for the sheriff’s position, though he wasn’t certain whether he’d do so on opening day.

Opening day of the candidate filing period typically brings out a crowd as prospective candidates make official their election plans.

Clerk of Court Craig Lewis confirmed his plans to join the group of first-day filers. Lewis, a Democrat, was appointed to the office last year after the retirement of longtime Clerk of Court Darlene Leonard and is now running for election to the seat.

He knows from the start he’ll have a contested race, with Carteret County Republican Party Chairman Pam Hanson running “to give people a choice.”

Register of Deeds Joy Lawrence is another appointee who faces an election to keep her seat.

The Board of Education also has four seats up for election: the District 1 seat held by Adele Collins; the District 3 seat held by Cathy Neagle; the District 5 seat held by Bill Blair; and the District 6 seat held by June Fulcher.

Contact Jannette Pippin at 910-382-2557 or jpippin@freedomenc.com.