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Two Dozen Candidates File for Seats in 2017 Municipal Elections in Watauga County

By Jesse Wood          

Candidate filing is over and two dozen people have filed their candidacy for the 2017 municipal elections in Watauga County, according to the local board of elections office. 

Filing opened on July 7 and closed on July 21.

The following seats are open for election: mayors of Boone (Rennie Brantz) and Blowing Rock (J.B. Lawrence); and council members of Boone (seats of Charlotte Mizelle, Jennifer Underdown-Collins and Jennifer Teague), Blowing Rock (seats of Doug Matheson, Ray Pickett and Sue Sweeting), Beech Mountain (seats of E. Rick Miller, Paul Piquet and Rick Owen) and Seven Devils (Kay Ehlinger, David Hooper and Brad Lambert).

The following is the final filing list: 

Beech Mountain Town Council (3 seats open)

  • J. Weidner Abernethy
  • Barry Kaufman
  • E. Rick Miller (I)
  • Paul Piquet (I)
  • Carl Marquardt

Blowing Rock Mayor:

  • Charles Sellers
  • J.B. Lawrence (I) 

Blowing Rock Town Council (3 seats open)

  • Doug Matheson (I)
  • Sue Sweeting (I)
  • Virginia Powell
  • Ray Pickett (I)

Boone Mayor:

  • Rennie Brantz (I)

Boone Town Council (3 seats open)

  • Connie Ulmer
  • Jeannine Underdown Collins (I)
  • Charlotte Mizelle (I)
  • Jill Reeves
  • Marshall Ashcraft
  • Sam Furgiuele
  • Quint David

Seven Devils Town Council (3 seats open)             

  • Brad Lambert (I)
  • Kay Ehlinger (I)
  • Bob Dodson
  • Tina Bailey
  • Barrie Winn

The election is in November. 

For more information, click to the Watauga County Board of Elections website or call 828-265-8061.