Alley files for N.C. House Dist. 113
Polk County’s election races will include six Democrats and three Republicans vying for three open seats on the Polk County Board of Commissioners.
Filing for Polk County seats ended yesterday, Feb. 29, at noon with Ernie Giannini (D) and Rickie McFalls (D) filing for Polk County commissioner and George Alley (D) filing for N.C. House of Representatives District 113.
Phil Feagan (D) filed for the N.C. Senate District 47 seat on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
A primary will be needed this year only for the Democrats running for Polk County commissioner. The seats of county commissioners Renée McDermott (D), Tom Pack (R) and Cindy Walker (D) are open this year, and Pack and McDermott have filed for re-election. Walker is not seeking re-election after serving a four-year term.
Others filing for Polk County commissioner include Michael Gage (R), Keith Holbert (R), Emily Bartlett (D), Ritchie L. “Bubba” Greene (D), Giannini (D), McFalls (D) and Russell Mierop (D).
In the primary, which will be held on May 8, Democrats will select three out of six Democratic county commissioner candidates to run against the three Republicans.
The only other local seat with a race this year is for Polk County Clerk of Superior Court, in which Pam Hyder (D) will face challenger Marche Pittman (R). Hyder was appointed as Polk County Clerk of Superior Court last year after the retirement of Charlene Owens.
No race is needed for the Polk County School Board as incumbents Rick Covil for Tryon and Cindy Allen for White Oak both filed with no opponents. Melanie Talbot did not seek re-election for the school board representing Saluda, but Rhonda Corley filed to fill the seat with no opponents.
There will also not be a race for Polk County Register of Deeds as no one filed to run against incumbent Sheila Whitmire (R).
Feagan is challenging Ralph Hise Jr (R) who currently holds the N.C. Senate seat with the district being redrawn last year to represent Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford and Yancey Counties.
Alley is challenging Trudi Walend (R), who holds the N.C. House of Representatives District 113 seat after being appointed last year to replace David Guice (R) who resigned to take a state corrections director position.