An additional mayoral candidate in Burlington has triggered a primary election that will be held one month prior to the November 2 general election. Donna Vanhook filed Monday for the mayor’s seat, for which incumbent Ian Baltutis and political newcomer Walter Boyd had already filed.
A primary on October 5 will whittle the three candidates (and any additional candidates) for Burlington mayor to the top two who will face off in November.
Meanwhile, The Alamance News has learned that a fifth candidate for Burlington city council is likely to file for office Tuesday, which will trigger a primary in that race, as well.
The city council race, with four current candidates, is already at its capacity for avoiding a primary. Any additional candidate(s) will trigger an October 5 primary, which will cut the number of candidates to four seeking the two available seats.
Already running are incumbent councilman Harold Owen, former county commissioner Bob Byrd, and newcomers Charlie Beasley and Dejuana Warren Bigelow.
Meanwhile, in Graham, first-term incumbent Melody Wiggins has filed for re-election Monday; also filing for a council seat Monday were Bobby Chin, a member of the city’s planning board, and Joey Parsons. They join Daniel Alvis and Edith J. Montoya. Graham does not have a primary system, however, so the five will face off for the two seats on this year’s ballot.
Meanwhile, council members Chip Turner and Jennifer Talley are both running for mayor of Graham. Long-time mayor Jerry Peterman is not seeking re-election.
In Elon, alderwoman Emily Sharpe, who is up for re-election, instead filed on Monday to run for mayor. She faces Michael Woods, who filed last week; Woods ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the board of aldermen in 2019, placing fifth among the five candidates for three seats that year. Long-time mayor Jerry Tolley opted not to seek re-election.
In the Village of Alamance, mayor pro tem Naydine Sharpe filed for re-election to the board of aldermen. Two other incumbents – Mike Baldwin and Gayle Andrews – have not filed; however, Philip C. Cheap and Lacey Steger have filed.
Also joining an already crowded ballot in Mebane is Katie Burkholder, who filed on Monday. She joins incumbent Tim Bradley, former planning department employee Montreena W. Hadley, Charles Lopez, and Jonathan White in seeking one of three seats on the city council.
Other Mebane incumbents, Everette Greene and Jill Auditori, are not seeking re-election.
See earlier coverage from last week’s edition here: https://alamancenews.com/2021-campaigns-competitive-mayor-races-in-burlington-graham/
