Candidate filing open for 2012 election

BOLIVIA—And they’re off.

CAROLINE CURRAN

Northwest Mayor James Knox, a Democrat, talks to county commissioner candidate Jwantana Frink on Monday while they waited to file for office. Knox filed for state House District 18, currently represented by Wilmington Democrat Susi Hamiltion. Frink is one of three Republicans who filed to run for District 3 county commissioner. Joe Agovino and Pat Sykes have also filed for the seat.

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Candidate filing for the 2012 election is under way. Filing began at noon Monday, Feb. 13, and runs until noon Wednesday, Feb. 29.

The 2012 primary election will be Tuesday, May 8, and the General Election will be Tuesday, Nov. 6. 

Several candidates arrived at the Brunswick County Board of Elections on Monday to file for their respective offices.

County contests are already proving to be crowded fields.

County commissioners

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, six county commissioners candidates have filed for office.

In District 5, incumbent commissioner Bill Sue is not seeking re-election. Two Republicans have filed to succeed him. Former Brunswick County Health Director Don Yousey filed for office Monday.

Former GOP 7th Congressional District Chairman Frank Williams also filed for District 5 county commissioner.

In District 3, currently represented by Republican Charles Warren, who has not announced his re-election plans, three fellow Republicans are looking to oust him.

Former Southport Alderman Jwantana Frink and Dosher Hospital Trustee Joe Agovino are both seeking to serve as county commissioner for District 3. Republican Pat Sykes, who is on the DSS board with Warren, filed to run for District 3 commissioner on Tuesday.

Republican incumbent Scott Phillips, who represents District 4, filed for re-election Monday.

Board of education

In the board of education race, Tom Simmons, a Democrat, is running for the District 4 seat. Former board of education member Ray Gilbert, now a Democrat, filed to run for the District 1 seat on the board of education. Bud Thorsen, a Republican who beat Gilbert for the seat in 2008, filed for re-election Tuesday.

Longtime county coroner Greg White filed for re-election Monday afternoon. Brunswick County Register of Deeds Brenda Mercer Clemmons, a Republican, filed for re-election Tuesday.

State races

N.C. Rep. Frank Iler, R-Oak Island, was the first candidate to file Monday. Iler is running for an expanded House District 17, which includes most of Brunswick County south and west of Bolivia.

Northwest Mayor James Knox, a Democrat, filed to run in the newly expanded House District 18, currently represented by Susi Hamilton, a Wilmington Democrat.

State Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Southport, filed for re-election Tuesday.

Bill Faison, a Democrat, has filed to run for governor. N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue recently announced she would not seek re-election.

Judicial races

Assistant district attorney Cathi Radford announced she filed for district judge Monday in Raleigh. Radford is running for the seat vacated by District Judge Napolean Barefoot, who recently announced he would not seek re-election.

Chief District Judge Jerry Jolly filed for re-election Monday. Former assistant district attorney Fred Gore also filed for Jolly’s seat. District Judge Scott Ussery filed for re-election Tuesday.

Federal races

President Barack Obama will be the Democrat’s nominee on the ballot. On the Republican ballot, there will be four primary candidates: Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. Six Libertarians will be on the primary presidential ballot: Roger Gary, R.J. Harris, Gary Johnson, Carl Person, Bill Still and Lee Wrights.

Randy Crow, a Republican from Kelly, filed to run for U.S. House of Representatives in District 7, which includes Brunswick County.