By Hunter Hines
Christian Action League
December 4, 2019
The filing period for those seeking public office in North Carolina started on Monday and will run through December 20th.
Numerous lawmakers and other would-be public officials showed pictures of themselves on their Facebook pages filing with their local board of elections for various elective offices.
Posted on his Facebook page with a photo of himself, N.C. Supreme Court Justice Paul Newby, wrote, “I am looking forward to presenting my hard work, dedication, and experience before the voters in 2020 for Chief Justice of North Carolina.”
Speaker of the House, Tim Moore (R-Cleveland), posted a picture of himself on Facebook, showing a cheerful thumbs-up while filing. He wrote, “Honored to file for re-election today for the North Carolina House of Representatives to serve the people of Cleveland County for 2 more years.”
Senator Warren Daniel (R-Burke) posted a picture of the front door of the Burke County Board of Elections on his Facebook page. The post included his announcement to run again, but also a word of appreciation for his wife, Lydia. “Its official!” wrote Daniel, “I filed today as a candidate for NC Senate District 46. I look forward to visiting with and hearing from the people of this district over the next 11 months and thank all of you who have supported me in so many ways, especially you, Lydia Daniel.”
Indeed it is official. The political elections for 2020 in the Tar Heel state are underway. And some would say they’re glad to hear it because court challenges to redistricting maps have created a good deal of angst about the who, what, and when of the election.
In September, a three-judge panel of the Wake County Superior Court ruled that the General Assembly’s districts approved for the 2020 election suffered from partisan gerrymandering, and was in violation of the state’s constitution, and, therefore, needed to be redrawn.
In October, the same three-judge panel approved the newly redrawn state legislative maps, but issued an injunction blocking use of the North Carolina Congressional district maps in the 2020 election.
After having reviewed the Congressional maps redrawn by the General Assembly, the three judges unanimously approved them on Monday of this week.
However, only two days later (Wednesday), this same trinity of judges struck again by issuing a late change for Mecklenburg County judicial races until it could be determined whether the districts mapped for them were also unfairly partisan.
The judges didn’t expect to be able to resolve concerns about Mecklenburg County’s judicial races before the 2020 election. Therefore, the panel ordered the election for judges to be held at large and not by districts.
“It’s dizzying what’s been happening. So much has been up in the air for quite a while,” said Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League. “As a clergyman, I want to be as non-partisan as possible, but I still have to call it as I see it. There were 140 years of Democratic control of the state legislature. Republicans have had the majority less than a decade, and it’s obvious the Democrats are determined that if they can’t control who gets elected at the ballot box, they’ll control it as much as possible via the Courthouse. Republicans have had to bend over backward to please the court. I don’t know of anything like this ever happening to Democrats when they were running the state. It’s been absurd and an abuse of judicial power!”
In a report this week about candidate filings, Carolina Public Press correctly noted:
“Because different term lengths, offices, and election cycles exist in counties and municipalities for various seats, such as school board, minor county offices, and various municipal offices, some candidates for those seats may need to file with their county election boards during the December filing window, but others will have a later filing window. Many local offices, such as sheriff, will not be on the ballot for the 2020 election.
“Those interested in seeking these offices or finding out who is running should check with their local county election boards.”
While some are filing for office, others are announcing that they don’t intend to run for re-election.
The principal clerk’s office of the North Carolina House says the following legislators will not run again for a term in that chamber.
- Rep. Chaz Beasley (D-Mecklenburg). Beasley intends to run for Lieutenant Governor instead.
- Rep. Mary Ann Black (D-Durham)
- Rep. Debra Conrad (R-Forsyth)
- Rep. Kevin Corban (R-Cherokee). Corban will run for NC Senate.
- Rep. Josh Dobson (R-Avery). Dobson will run to become the next state Commissioner of Labor
- Rep. John A. Fraley (R-Iredell)
- Rep. Holly Grange (R-New Hanover). Grange will seek the office of Governor.
- Rep. Yvonne Lewis Holley (D-Wake)
- Rep. Steve Jarvis (R-Davidson). Jarvis hopes to secure a state Senate seat.
- Rep. Chuck McGrady (R-Henderson)
- Rep. Michelle Presnell (R-Haywood)
- Rep. Michael Speciale (R-Craven)
The principal clerk in the state Senate says that the Senate doesn’t provide a full list of the members in their chamber who won’t run for re-election until after December 20th.
Four state Senators, nonetheless, have publicly announced that they do not intend to seek re-election in 2020.
- Sen. Harry Brown (R-Onslow)
- Sen. Rick Horner (R-Johnston)
- Sen. Rick Gunn (R-Alamance)
- Sen. Jim Davis (R-Cherokee)
Last August, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest said that he would not seek re-election as North Carolina’s Lt. Gov., but instead run for Governor.
Rev. Creech said, “Most Christians overlook or underestimate filing time as something of consequence. But it is an important time to be praying – praying that God will raise-up good candidates – praying that God will shape the political landscape for his glory. Christians should also consider running for office as a part of being ‘salt’ for Christ’s sake. The politics of our state and nation desperately need salting. Christian leaders can help create a thirst for God and his ways. God can use them as a moral and spiritual preservative. They shouldn’t be intimated, but step out in faith and file to run for the school board, a seat on the city council, a county commissioner’s office, or perhaps a state office. It’s not people with great skills that are most needed; it’s people with great character and a sharp moral compass set on the true North of God’s Word, which are dreadfully needed.”