And They're Off! - Candidate Filing Ends for 2012 Election Cycle

The filing period for this election cycle offically ended yesterday, and several contests are shaping up to be real horse races.  Three of the more interesting contests will likely end in run-offs before we even know the final nominees for the general election, and two of those directly impact Davidson and our new districts. 

These races are:

• Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners At-Large - 12 Democrats and 4 Republicans will compete in primaries for the 3 open BOCC at-large spots.  This is the first time since the initial at-large seats were created that all 3 incumbents are not running.  Jim Pendergraph and Jennifer Roberts are seeking the NC-9 seat vacated by Sue Myrick, and Chairman Harold Cogdell made a surprise announcement earlier this week that he would not seek re-election and is leaving the Democratic Party.
• US Congress NC-9 -  11 Republicans will compete in a primary to represent the newly drawn NC-9 seat for Congress.  This seat now includes the municipalities of Davidson and Mooresville and is sure to be fun race to watch.  It will likely get some national attention before it is over - both in the primary and the general election.  Former BOCC chair Jennifer Roberts is the sole Democrat that has chosen to run.
• NC Senate 41 - This new district includes the northern edge of Mecklenburg County from the North Meck towns down to Matthews.  5 Republicans are vying for this seat with Cornelius Mayor Jeff Tarte and former MeckGOP Chairman John Aneralla being the two most recognizable names.

With this many candidates running in each of these races, it is likely that the winners of the May 8th primary do not reach the 40% threshold required by law to prevent a run-off election.  2nd primaries are somewhat rare, but this kind of electoral upheaval is not uncommon after a redistricting year.  Candidates look at the new district lines and determine if they should enter a race that was previously unfavorable, or seek higher office.  We're seeing a lot of both in Mecklenburg County this year.


Candidate Listings:

Mecklenburg Board of Elections Candidate List

North Carolina Board of Elections Candidate List