By Catharin Shepard • Staff writer • A number of local candidates filed Monday to run for election in Hoke County.
Incumbents Hoke County Sheriff Roderick C. Virgil and Hoke County Commissioners Tony Hunt, Harry Southerland and Allen Thomas were among those who filed Monday to run for election. The incumbent candidates for sheriff and commissioner are Democrats. Virgil is currently serving out the remainder of the late Sheriff Dr. Hubert Peterkin’s last term.
Hoke County Republican Party Chairman David Frump, who has previously sought election to the board, filed to run and announced his campaign for county commissioner this week. Carlton Barber, a gospel singer and minister, announced earlier this year that he plans to seek a seat on the commission.
The sheriff and commissioners serve four-year terms.
Besides sheriff and three seats on the county commission, there are other local offices up for election in 2022. Three seats on the county school board will open for filing next summer, as those offices are non-partisan and do not have a primary election. The school board incumbents are Barbara Buie, Della Maynor and Irish Pickett.
The office of Hoke County Clerk of Court is also up for election in 2022. The incumbent is Evelyn McLeod.
A last-minute court order paused filing for the North Carolina General Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives, but a reversal of the order Tuesday opened filing for those offices. The court order forced a temporary pause in the filing plans for candidates who intend to run for election to the North Carolina State Senate, North Carolina State House of Representatives or the United States House of Representatives. Filing was allowed to proceed Tuesday.
Incumbent Rep. Garland Pierce, a Democrat from Wagram, announced earlier this year he planned to run for office again. Pierce represents Hoke and Scotland counties as part of State House District 48. He confirmed that he filed to run Tuesday after the temporary pause was lifted.
Incumbent State Sen. Ben Clark III, a Democrat from Hoke County, announced plans to seek election to the United States House of Representatives in the 4th Congressional District instead of pursuing another term in the State Senate.
Clark currently represents Hoke and part of Cumberland County in North Carolina State Senate District 21. He announced earlier this year he would not seek another term in the State Senate, apparently to focus on a run for Congress.
Redistricting this year moved Hoke County into State Senate District 24, and into the 8th Congressional District. The incumbent for North Carolina 8th Congressional District is Congressman Richard Hudson, a Republican. The State Senate District 24 seat is considered open for election purposes, and includes Hoke, Robeson and Scotland counties.
The filing period runs until Friday, December 17. For more information on getting registered to vote or running for office, visit https://www.hokecounty.net/235/Elections or contact the Hoke County Board of Elections at (910) 875-9062.
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