The filing period for city elections in High Point and Archdale opened last Friday and goes through July 16. Candidates, especially High Pointers, were ready to run. Only four incumbents filed for re-election in Archdale Friday, but in High Point, it became clear that the mayor’s post and several City Council seats likely will be contested.
On Friday, Dwayne Hemingway-El filed for the High Point mayor’s post, setting up a race with Mayor Becky Smothers, who filed Tuesdsay seeking re-election. In the at-large races for two seats, incumbent Latimer Alexander and challengers Regina Chahal and Britt Moore filed. Incumbent Mary Lou Blakeney says she’ll seek re-election.
As of Friday’s filings, the only other sure race was for the Ward 6 Council seat, with Will Armfield and Jim Corey filing for the seat to be vacated by John Faircloth, who won election to the N.C. House in May. But several other City Council seats likely will see contests. In Ward 1 Jeffrey Golden, in Ward 2 Jill Harwood and in Ward 5 Geoffery Shull filed for seats now held by Bernita Sims, Foster Douglas and Chris Whitley, respectively. It’s likely all three of those seats will be contested. In Ward 3, Mike Pugh filed for re-election. In Ward 4, A.B. Henley filed for the seat that will be vacated by Bill Bencini, who won a Guilford County Commissioners seat in May.
This first-day rush of filings in High Point indicates local politics could be quite interesting this year. So it’s up to High Point residents to tune in and do their parts by learning about the candidates and turning out at the polls on Nov. 2. Archdale residents should do the same, but we hope filings to come will produce plenty to excite them.
High Point’s and Archdale’s city elections were changed to even-numbered years four years ago to try to simulate voter interest. The verdict on that move still is out, but in High Point, at least, it looks as though the move stimulated candidate interest, and that’s a start.
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