RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The candidate filing period for this year’s North Carolina elections closed Friday, capping a three-week flood of those seeking federal offices and assuring more choices for voters picking a new General Assembly in November.
A sixth Democrat filed Friday morning to challenge GOP U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, while two more Republicans filed for the U.S. House of Representatives, bringing to 69 the number of incumbents and challengers for the state’s 13 House seats — the most in at least 20 years, State Board of Elections executive director Gary Bartlett said.
In 2006, the last non-presidential election year, there were 37 candidates for the U.S. House. Two years ago, there were less than 50, according to a review of elections data.
“The interest in the U.S. House is because of the times that we’re in,” Bartlett said. “People want their voices heard, and we certainly appreciate anyone who is eligible to file and run for office. It’s only healthy.”
Candidates also filed for all 170 seats in the Legislature, where the number of races where only one person will be on the ballot in November fell dramatically this year compared to years past because several Senate Democrats are stepping down and more Republican candiates filed in Democratic-leaning districts.
Forty-eight of the congressional candidates are Republicans — a sign of the discontentment among conservatives over the bad economy and policies advanced by President Barack Obama and the Democratic-led Congress.
“I’m truly upset about the conditions in the country today,” said Bernie Reeves, a Raleigh magazine publisher who filed this week for the GOP nomination to challenge Democratic Rep. Brad Miller in the 13th District. “I thought about it for months, talked with the gurus and just finally said, ‘If I don’t, who will?’”
Three other Republicans, however, also decided to get in the race — Dan Huffman of Wake Forest, Frank Hurley of Chapel Hill and Bill Randall of Raleigh.
Twelve of the 13 seats will have GOP primaries May 4, including four of the five with Republican incumbents. Sixth District Rep. Howard Coble of Greensboro has five other party challengers while Rep. Patrick McHenry of Cherryville got three fellow GOP opponents in the 10th District. Only Rep. Sue Myrick of Charlotte advanced to the Nov. 2 general election without opposition.
Two of the eight Democratic House members — Reps. G.K. Butterfield in the 1st District and Health Shuler in the 11th — have primary opponents.
The U.S. Senate race tops the ballot and 11 people, including Burr, filed the paperwork to run. Susan Harris of Old Fort became the sixth Democrat to file Friday.
One of the four Republicans is former state Rep. Larry Linney, who was convicted of embezzlement and disbarred as a lawyer for taking $10,000 from a dead client’s estate. Convicted felons such as Linney can run again after they complete their punishments, Bartlett said. No one answered the phone Friday at Linney’s home in Charlotte.
Interest in the races filtered down to the Legislature, where voters in 39 of the 50 Senate districts and 82 of the 120 House districts will get to choose candidates from two or three parties in the fall, according to a preliminary review of candidates lists. In 2006, about half of the 170 districts had only one major-party candidate in November.
The lists of Senate departures grew Friday as Sen. Katie Dorsett. D-Guilford, withdrew her candidacy two weeks after she filed.
Dorsett, a four-term senator and former Cabinet secretary, said she wanted to spend more time with her family and had been open to stepping down if fellow Democrat Gladys Robinson wanted to run. Robinson filed Friday.
Candidates also filed for dozens of judgeships, local district attorneys and county commissions.
According to the unofficial campaign filings:
- Court of Appeals Judge Sanford Steelman of Weddington will be re-elected to another eight-year term after he drew no opposition. There will be primaries for two of the three remaining Court of Appeals seats up for re-election because three or more candidates filed for them. The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election. The only state Supreme Court race will pit Court of Appeals judges Bob Hunter of Marion and Barbara Jackson of Raleigh. Incumbent Justice Edward Brady chose not to run again.
- Former House Co-Speaker Richard Morgan, R-Moore, filed to challenge Sen. Harris Blake in a state Senate primary. The winner will win the seat because no Democrat filed.
- Republican Greg Dority of Beaufort County, who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2008 and the 1st Congressional District seat in 2002 and 2004, filed to run for the 12th District held by Democrat Mel Watt. A North Carolina resident can file to run for a congressional seat even if the person doesn’t live in the district.
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On the Net:
List of candidates who have filed for federal, legislative and judicial candidates: http://tiny.cc/TNqwV
