Polk County commissioner candidate Russell Mierop (D) recently accepted a job near Raleigh.

Mierop said he’s been looking for a position of this nature for about six years and he plans to move out of the county mid-November, which will be after the election.

Mierop cannot drop out of the race, as the ballots are complete.

According to the Polk County Board of Elections, no one can withdraw from the race at this time. No candidate is disqualified from being a candidate unless they move out of the county.

The board of elections also said if Mierop is elected and he later resigns, the Democratic Executive Committee will appoint another Democrat to fill his position until Mierop’s term is up, which could be a two- or four-year term, depending on what he won, if elected. 

Polk County residents have six candidates this year to fill three open seats on the board of commissioners. Candidates Mierop (D), Rhonda Lewis (D), Penny Padgett (D), Jake Johnson (R), Tommy Melton (R) and Myron Yoder (R) are all vying for the three seats.

Commissioners Shane Bradley (R) and Ray Gasperson (D) remain on the board another two years.

Mierop said although the timing on the job was not optimal, the position is what he went to school for to a tee.

“I applied and they offered me a position that I just couldn’t turn down,” Mierop said.

Polk County Democratic Party Chair Pat Salomon said the party is very happy for Mierop on his new position and this is a great opportunity for Mierop to further his career in agriculture.

Mierop said he encourages residents to vote for him, as he feels confident if he is elected and resigns, the Democrat Executive Committee will choose someone suitable to serve as county commissioner.

Appointing people to fill seats has been done in Polk County in recent years. The Democratic Executive Committee appointed Polk County Sheriff Donald Hill to his position in 2008 and Polk County Clerk of Court Pam Hyder in 2012 to fill resigned seats. The Republican Executive Committee also appointed current commissioner Ted Owens last year to fill the seat of commissioner Tom Pack, who passed away in March. The Town of Tryon also recently appointed commissioner Bill Crowell to fill a resigned seat.