Election filing period ends as contested races run the gamet

March 01--The election filing period closed Friday with plenty of contested races to whet voters' interest in the May 6 primary and the general election in November.

The races run the gamut of political levels, including a U.S. Senate race that's already been the focus of millions of dollars' worth of Republican attack ads, a congressional race where a one-time "American Idol" star is among the Democrats seeking to unseat the incumbent Republican, and a race where a 76-year-old incumbent sheriff will have to get past three fellow Democrats to have a chance in November at his sixth four-year term.

"It will be interesting," said George Breece, a former state representative and past chairman of the Cumberland County Democratic Party.

Friday brought filings by two local candidates. About an hour before the filing period ended, outgoing Cumberland County Commissioner Billy R. King entered the race for the District 21 state Senate seat now held by Ben Clark of Raeford. And Sharman Armento Tober, a Republican from Fayetteville, entered the crowded race for an at-large seat on the county commission.

The District 21 race will be a rematch of the top finishers from two years ago. Clark and King were among six Democrats then seeking the seat, which represents Hoke and Cumberland counties. King captured the most votes in the primary but didn't garner the necessary minimum of 40 percent. In a second primary between just him and Clark, Clark was victorious.

King, an insurance agent, said he believed sparse turnout in the second primary was a factor.

"And I give the other candidate their due," he said.

He said he decided to try again for the seat "because I don't like what I see happening in Raleigh and I want to be a part of turning it around."

The race, which includes Fayetteville Democrats Sylvia Adamczyk and Eronomy "Mohammed" Smith, will be determined in the primary. No one else filed for it.

There won't be a primary for the other local state Senate race -- District 19, which represents much of Cumberland County. But it's expected to be a battle heading to November between two-term incumbent Republican Wesley Meredith and Democrat Billy Richardson, a former two-term member of the N.C. House.

Negative campaigning was a notable part of the previous two races for the seat. Strong advertising is expected this time out,k too.

"You have two experienced campaigners, two people who have run and won," Breece said. "You have two political parties that want that seat. So I imagine it'll be a pretty rough and maybe even brutal battle."

There will be several primary races at the county level. Three Democrats are vying for two District 1 seats on the county commission. They include incumbent Jeannette Council, former Fayetteville city Councilman D.J. Haire and Fayetteville lawyer Glenn B. Adams.

Meanwhile, two Democrats and six Republicans want a chance at two at-large seats on the commission. Democrats Larry Lancaster, a school board member, and Charles Evans, an incumbent, won't face a primary. The Republicans will. They include Mike Boose, another school board member; Juanita Gonzalez, a former county commissioner who also previously served on the city council and the school board; John "JC" Czajkowski; Ronald Pittman; Tober; and Bob White.

Linda Devore, chairwoman of the Cumberland County Republican Party, said the large number of Republican candidates is indicative of enthusiasm in the party.

Also on the county level, four Democrats and two Republicans are seeking the office of sheriff. They include five-term incumbent Moose Butler, a Democrat, who will face off in the primary against Jeff Marks, Chuck Kimble and Terry Isaacs. On the Republican side, Victor B. Starling will face Charlie Baxley for the chance to move on to November.

Breece said Butler is the odds-on favorite because of his popularity with his employees and the fact that he's so well-known.

"There's only one person in Cumberland County that has higher name recognition and that's Santa Claus," he said. "He would really have to fall in a sinkhole to lose this one."

At the top of the ticket is the hotly contested U.S. Senate race in which every registered voter will be able to cast a ballot. All three parties have two or more candidates running in the race. Incumbent Democrat Kay Hagan, who's completing her first term, is expected to get past Will Stewart of Hampstead and Ernest T. Reeves of Greenville in the primary.

If so, she'll then face one of eight Republicans and one of two Libertarians, including Tim D'Annunzio of Raeford, who ran for Congress in 2012 as a Republican.

The Republicans in Hagan's race include state House Speaker Thom Tillis of CorneliusJim Snyder of Lexington, Edward Kryn of Clayton, Mark Harris of Raleigh, Heather Grant of Wilkesboro, Alex Lee Bradshaw of Icard, Greg Brannon of Raleigh and Ted Alexander of Shelby. The other Libertarian is Sean Haugh of Durham.

Devore said she believes the race could improve the outlook for other Republicans heading into November.

"People who traditionally vote Democrat may not have the same level of enthusiasm with this race," she said. "It could have an effect on a lot of races because of turnout."

Vikki Andrews, chairwoman of the the Cumberland County Democratic Party, said she believes just the opposite could be true. She said many voters may be turned off by what she described as Republicans' negative rhetoric and negative records.

"They've already spent millions to try to paint Sen. Hagan in a negative light, which goes along with the things the Republican Party has been doing," she said. "I think that's not the winning strategy. We definitely are excited to get out there and work for Sen. Hagan."

Three Democrats will face off in the primary for the 2nd Congressional District seat now held by Republican Renee Ellmers. They include Toni Morris of Fayetteville, Keith Crisco of Asheboro and Clay Aiken of Cary -- and "American Idol" fame.

"I met Clay, and he's a smart guy," Andrews said. "He has some good ideas."

So do Morris and Crisco, she said, adding, "All three of them are committed to trying to unseat Renee."

Ellmers, in her second term, faces Republican Frank Roche of Cary in her party's primary.

There's no incumbent in the 7th Congressional District, where Democrat Mike McIntyre is retiring. Three Republicans will battle for it in the primary -- Woody White of Wilmington, David Rouzer of Benson and Chris Andrade of Fayetteville. The winner will move on to face Democrat Jonathan Barfield Jr. of Wilmington and Libertarian J. Wesley Casteen of Wilmington in November.

Staff writer Catherine Pritchard can be reached at [email protected] or 486-3517.

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