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Candidate Filing Closed at Noon Friday, Check Out Complete List of Filings for Races in Avery, Watauga

Update: Candidate filing ended at noon on Friday, Feb. 28. Another candidate has entered into the races for Watauga County Board of Commissioners and Watauga County Board of Education. Also, Avery County features last-minute candidate filings. Check out the list before yesterday’s story for all the filings that came in before the deadline. 

As of noon on Friday, Feb. 28, after filing ended.

Candidates Representing Avery, Watauga Counties & Beyond

U.S. Senate (Kay Hagan’s Seat)

  • Mark Harris (R)
  • Ted Alexander (R)
  • Heather Grant (R)
  • Greg Brannon (R)
  • Jim Snyder (R)
  • Kay Hagan (D) (I)
  • Will Stewart (D)
  • Thom Tillis (R)
  • Edward Kryn (R)
  • Sean Haugh (L)
  • Tim D’Annunzio (L)
  • Ernest Reeves (D)
  • Alex Bradshaw (R)

District Attorney 24 (Jerry Wilson’s seat)

  • Nathan Miller (R)
  • Britt Springer (R)
  • Seth Banks (R)

N.C. Senate District 45 (Soucek’s Seat)

  • Dan Soucek (R)
  • Jim Sponenberg (D)

WATAUGA COUNTY RACES

U.S. House District 5

  • Virginia Foxx (R) (I)
  • Philip Doyle (R)
  • Gardenia Henley (D)
  • Michael W. Holleman (D)
  • Josh Brannon (D)
  • Will Stinson (D)

N.C. House District 93 (Jonathan Jordan’s seat)

  • Sue Counts (D)
  • Jonathan Jordan (R) (I)

Watauga County Board of Commissioners (Three seats open)

District 3:

  • Karen Lerch (R)
  • Matt Klutz (R)
  • Billy Kennedy (D) (I)

District 4:

  • Larry Turnbow (D)
  • David Blust (R) (I)

District 5:

  • Allen Trivette (R)
  • Barbara Kinsey (D)
  • Jimmy Hodges (R)

Clerk of Court

  • Diane Deal (D) (I)

Sheriff

  • Randy Townsend (R)
  • Len Hagaman (D) (I)

Board of Education (Three seats open)

  • Ron Holste
  • Tiffany Christian
  • Ron Henries (I)
  • Jay Fenwick
  • Adam L. Trivette
  • Jason Cornett
  • Kurt Michael
  • Josh Kanoy

AVERY COUNTY RACES

Avery County Commissioner

  • Clayton Harpold (R)
  • John Millan (R)
  • Kevin Benfield (R)
  • Faith (Faye) Lacey (R)
  • Powell Glidewell (R)
  • Glenn Johnson (I) (R)
  • Blake Vance (R)

  • Maxine Harmon Laws (R)
  • Phyllis Forbes (R) (I)

  • Kevin Benfield (R)
  • Kenny Poteat (R) (I)

Avery County Board of Education

  • Steve Smith (I)
  • John Glenn Hicks 
  • Robert Clark (I)

Sheriff

  • Anthony Pollygus (R)
  • Reo Griffith (R)
  • Kevin Frye (R) (I)

Clerk of Court

  • Lisa Daniels (I)

N.C. House District 85

  • Josh Dobson (R)
  • J.R. Edwards (D)

U.S. House District 11

  • Keith Ruehl (D)
  • Mark Meadows (R) (I)
  • Tom Hill (D)

By Jesse Wood 

Feb. 27, 2014. Less than 24 hours exist before candidate filing for the 2014 elections in North Carolina ends. The deadline is Friday, Feb. 28, at noon. 

High Country Press recently featured Matt Klutz in an article about the family business in Blowing Rock here. He filed for Watauga County Board of Commissioners on Thursday. Photo by Ken Ketchie
High Country Press recently featured Matt Klutz in an article about the family business in Blowing Rock here. He filed for Watauga County Board of Commissioners on Thursday. Photo by Ken Ketchie

The most recent candidate in Avery and Watauga counties to file is Matt Klutz, the 41-year-old son of former Blowing Rock Town Councilman Tommy Klutz, according to Watauga County Elections Director Jane Ann Hodges on Thursday afternoon. Klutz filed for District 3 Watauga County Board of Commissioners. His filing means that a primary race for commissioner will occur because Karen Lerch, also a Republican, filed to challenge Billy Kennedy. 

Watauga County will feature contested races in the May primary as well as the general election in November. Three Republicans have filed for District Attorney in the 24th Judicial District – Nathan Miller, Britt Springer and Seth Banks. Four people have filed for the Fifth Congressional District in North Carolina – Virginia Foxx’s district. 

Since seven people have filed for Watauga County Board of Education, the field will have to be narrowed down to six in May for the November election. 

Across the border in Avery County, the action is different because just about all of the candidates are Republican. Caleb Hogan, a staff member with the Avery County Board of Elections said, that the races are usually called in the primary because “generally” only Republicans run for office in Avery County. 

He added, though, that some registered unaffiliated have inquired about acquiring a petition to run in the general election. Hogan mentioned that those registered unaffiliated have until the last week in June to come up with 400 signatures to be placed on the ballot. 

The most recent filings in Avery County are: John Glenn Hicks for Avery County Board of Education; Glenn Johnson for Avery County Board of Commissioner; and Robert Clark for Avery County Board of Education. 

While the candidates for Avery County Board of Commissioner and Avery County Sheriff are all Republican, the race for U.S. Representative for North Carolina’s 11th District features incumbent Mark Meadows, a Republican, and two Democrats. 

See who all as filed to represent Avery and Watauga Counties below. 

As of noon on Friday, Feb. 28, after filing ended.

Candidates Representing Avery, Watauga Counties & Beyond

U.S. Senate (Kay Hagan’s Seat)

  • Mark Harris (R)
  • Ted Alexander (R)
  • Heather Grant (R)
  • Greg Brannon (R)
  • Jim Snyder (R)
  • Kay Hagan (D) (I)
  • Will Stewart (D)
  • Thom Tillis (R)
  • Edward Kryn (R)
  • Sean Haugh (L)
  • Tim D’Annunzio (L)
  • Ernest Reeves (D)
  • Alex Bradshaw (R)

District Attorney 24 (Jerry Wilson’s seat)

  • Nathan Miller (R)
  • Britt Springer (R)
  • Seth Banks (R)

N.C. Senate District 45 (Soucek’s Seat)

  • Dan Soucek (R)
  • Jim Sponenberg (D)

WATAUGA COUNTY RACES

U.S. House District 5

  • Virginia Foxx (R) (I)
  • Philip Doyle (R)
  • Gardenia Henley (D)
  • Michael W. Holleman (D)
  • Josh Brannon (D)
  • Will Stinson (D)

N.C. House District 93 (Jonathan Jordan’s seat)

  • Sue Counts (D)
  • Jonathan Jordan (R) (I)

Watauga County Board of Commissioners (Three seats open)

District 3:

  • Karen Lerch (R)
  • Matt Klutz (R)
  • Billy Kennedy (D) (I)

District 4:

  • Larry Turnbrow (D)
  • David Blust (R) (I)

District 5:

  • Allen Trivette (R)
  • Barbara Kinsey (D)
  • Jimmy Hodges (R)

Clerk of Court

  • Diane Deal (D) (I)

Sheriff

  • Randy Townsend (R)
  • Len Hagaman (D) (I)

Board of Education (Three seats open)

  • Ron Holste
  • Tiffany Christian
  • Ron Henries (I)
  • Jay Fenwick
  • Adam L. Trivette
  • Jason Cornett
  • Kurt Michael
  • Josh Kanoy

AVERY COUNTY RACES

Avery County Commissioner

  • Clayton Harpold (R)
  • John Millan (R)
  • Kevin Benfield (R)
  • Faith (Faye) Lacey (R)
  • Powell Glidewell (R)
  • Glenn Johnson (I) (R)
  • Blake Vance (R)

  •  

    Maxine Harmon Laws (R)

  • Phyllis Forbes (R) (I)

  •  

    Kevin Benfield (R)

  • Kenny Poteat (R) (I)

Avery County Board of Education

  • Steve Smith (I)
  • John Glenn Hicks 
  • Robert Clark (I)

Sheriff

  • Anthony Pollygus (R)
  • Reo Griffith (R)
  • Kevin Frye (R) (I)

Clerk of Court

  • Lisa Daniels (I)

N.C. House District 85

  • Josh Dobson (R)
  • J.R. Edwards (D)

U.S. House District 11

  • Keith Ruehl (D)
  • Mark Meadows (R) (I)
  • Tom Hill (D)