As the candidates for municipal elections are now set, Moore County voters will head to the polls November 5.
The filing period for this year’s election opened July 5 and closed July 19.
In North Carolina, general elections (for state wide and federal seats) are held in even-numbered years. Most municipal elections occur in odd-numbered years. So this year, while there are no statewide issues on the ballot, many local communities are holding elections for municipal positions.
In the town of Aberdeen, incumbent Mayor Robbie Farrell is running unopposed for an additional two-year term. Additionally, a total of three town commissioner seats are up for election with current Town Commissioner Elease Goodwin. Teressa Beavers, Bryan Bowles, Peter Campbell, and Adriana Marquez Janker are running for the positions.
In Cameron, David Seiberling is running unopposed to fill a vacant seat for the remaining two years of the term. There are also three open seats (4-year term) with Ginger Bauerband, Lisa Chapman, Mark Hildreth, and Jim Leiby competing.
In Carthage, Incumbent Mayor Lee McGraw is facing a challenge from Jimmy Chalfflinch, Kevin Lewis and George Wilson. The mayor in Carthage serves a four-year term. Also in Carthage, Al Barber, Dan Bonillo and R. Dusting Smith are competing for two open town commissioner positions. These seats are also for four years.
The Foxfire Village Council has two positions with Donald Boito and Mike Cole running unopposed to fill these four-year positions.
Pinebluff has three town commissioner seats up for election with Guy McGraw, George Ruedeman, Jeffery Schafer, George Stone, Mike Thomas and Diane Witkowski hoping to fill them. Additionally, Ronal McDonald and Jerry Williams are running to fill a vacant seat.
The Village of Pinehurst is electing a mayor with Claire Berggren and John Strickland hoping to win the four-year position. Additionally, there are two council seats open with Lydia Boesch, Jane Hogeman, Stuart Mills and Kenneth wanting to fill them.
In Robbins, Mayor Lonnie English is running unopposed for another four-year term with Cameron Dockery, Brandon Phillips and Kevin Stewart seeking to fill two open commissioner seats.
Carol Haney and Craig Morrison are hoping to be the next mayor of Southern Pines with John McLaughlin, Paul Murphy and William Pate running for two open council member seats.
Taylortown has five council seats open with Ulysses S. G. Barrett, Jr., Garry Brown, Bridget Cotton, Eddie Frank Lloyd, Mitchell Ratliff, Marvin Taylor and James Lattimore Thompson running for the two-year seats.
Vass Mayor Eddie Callahan is facing a challenge from James Moore and Angela Vacek. George Blackwell, Matthew Callahan, and Alphonso Mosley are also running unopposed to fill three commissioner seats.
The Village of Whispering Pines has a large field competing for four seats. Glenn Bernhard, Alexa Roberts, Randy Saunders, and Joe Wincklhofer are running for two seats with a four-year term. Former Moore County Sheriff Neil Godfrey joins a crowded docket with Andy Conway, Ian Duke, Pamela Harris, Dean Kalles, Matthew Martin, Denise Racey and Tim Venjohn looking to fill two vacant seats for two years.
On Friday, October 4, absentee ballots will be available by mail. On October 16 one day absentee voting begins and ends on November 1. All absentee ballots must be received into the board of elections by 5 pm on Tuesday, November 5 which is also election day.
~Written by Sandhills Sentinel Local News/Government Reporter Chris Prentice. 
Contact him at [email protected] or (910) 639-9303.
Photo of Nov. 2018 election at the Douglass Community Center in Southern Pines ~ Sandhills Sentinel.
