Candidates to begin lining up for 2024 election season
Nov. 29—Municipal elections were barely in the rearview before preparations for the next election season began — the race for state and county offices in 2024.
In Haywood County, two county commissioner seats, General Assembly seats in the N.C. House and Senate, and several local judicial races will be on the ballot. The primarily election to winnow down the candidates in each party will be held on March 5, 2024, with the general election in November.
The candidate sign-up period starts at noon, Monday, Dec. 4, and closes at noon Friday, Dec. 15.
Both county commissioner incumbents, Chairman Kevin Ensley and Vice-Chairman Brandon Rogers, confirmed they will be seeking re-election.
"Since we've had the mill closure, I want to use my professional experience in dealing with the infrastructure and economic development needs for the site," said Ensley, who owns a surveying business. "I understand flood plains and the challenges to redevelop in those areas. I would like to see the paper mill site continue to be for industry, and we've seen interest for this."
While there has been plenty of interest in the mill site, Pactiv Evergreen is the hold up, Ensley said.
"They just won't say what they want to do," he said. "Maybe they don't know. It's got rail, natural gas and there are a lot of good things that could go in there. We'd like to see something with the pulp paper industry."
Ensley said he was on the county board when the former Dayco site was redeveloped. The retail complex now on the former industrial property has a tax value of over $38 million, not to mention the tremendous amount of sales tax revenue it generates.
"Our county staff have been able to secure millions in grant funding to expand broadband into the rural areas, and I want to continue our momentum of internet expansion," Ensley said. "We have also developed funding for workforce housing, which is a critical need for our county. We have partnered with public, private and nonprofits to accomplish this.
At the end of his current term next year, Ensley will have served 16 years as a county commissioner. If re-elected, he would become the longest-serving commissioner in the county's history. Ensley said a lot of people have asked him to run again, especially considering all that's facing the county.
Rogers will be seeking his third term on the board. The Canton business owner said he is running again to wrap up unfinished business.
"I want to continue what we have been doing," Rogers said. "I feel like we're doing a good job. There are a few projects on the horizon that I want to finish."
State seats
Haywood County is represented by legislators in three separate districts, that of N.C. Sen. Kevin Corbin, who serves the western-most counties in the state, N.C. Sen. Ralph Hise, who represents a sliver of the county in the Canton area along with counties to the north, and N.C. Rep. Mark Pless, who represents voters in both Haywood and Madison counties.
All three are Republicans and seeking re-election.
Haywood County Elections Director Robert Inman said a number of judicial seats will also be on the ballot, from the unexpired term of District Court Judge Kristina Earwood, which Justin Greene was recently appointed to fill by the Governor, along with sitting District Court Judges Kaleb Wingate and Tessa Sellars.
There will also be a number of N.C. Court of Appeal posts on the ballot, though Inman said the list had not yet been released by the state.
