Filing period begins Monday

The political campaigning season in Burke County will pick up soon as the filing period opens at noon Monday. Filing ends at noon Feb. 29.

Burke County Board of Elections Director Debbie Mace said the office has received several calls inquiring about the filing period, and she expects a good turnout.

The only thing potential candidates need to bring is the position’s filing fee, said Mace.

Seats up for election this year, and their filing fees, are:

» Senate 46, House 86 and 112: $207

» Burke County Commissioner (three seats): $70.68

» Burke County Register of Deeds: $492.03

The filing fees for the county positions are 1-percent of the position’s salary, said Mace. The state sets the fee for the General Assembly seats.

Former Burke sheriff John McDevitt, a Democrat, announced last week his intent to run for the newly redistricted Senate 46 seat. McDevitt was elected sheriff in 1998 and retired in June.

The district now includes Burke and Cleveland counties. District 46 is currently represented by Rep. Wes Westmoreland (R) who was appointed after Rep. Debbie Clary (R) resigned in January.

Burke was formerly part of District 44 with Caldwell County. The district is currently represented by Republican Sen. Warren Daniel, a Morganton attorney. This was Daniel’s first term as a state senator.

Redistricting also moved the southern portion of Burke County out of House District 85 — represented by Rep. Mitch Gillespie (R) — and into District 112 with Rutherford County.

Rep. Mike Hager (R) is in his first term representing District 112.

The majority of Burke remains in House District 86. Rep. Hugh Blackwell (R) an attorney in Valdese, has served two terms in the position.

On Friday, Blackwell said he would seek re-election.

Three commissioners’ seats are up for election this year. The seats are currently held by Republican Johnnie Carswell and the only two Democrats on the board, vice-chair Bruce Hawkins and Steven Smith.

Hawkins has stated his intent to file for re-election Monday.

Libby Cooper has served as Burke County Register of Deeds since her first election in 1996.

Candidates interested in the above races can file to run at the Burke County Board of Elections, 2128 S. Sterling St.

Another political race is taking shape in Western North Carolina as 10 people have announced their candidacy for the 11th Congressional District seat.

The General Assembly moved Burke into the newly drawn district, which includes 16 counties and a portion of Buncombe. Burke was formerly part of the 10th Congressional District and represented by Rep. Patrick McHenry (R).

District 11 incumbent Rep. Heath Shuler (D) announced earlier this month he would not seek re-election.

Morganton businessman Vance Patterson announced in September his intention to run for the seat. Patterson, a Republican, had previously run against McHenry in 2010, but lost the primary.

Candidate Mark Meadows, a businessman from Cashiers, has won a stamp of approval from retired state Sen. Jimmy Jacumin. The former senator served District 44 and resides in Burke.

Jacumin endorsed Meadows last week at a Burke County Republican Party meeting.

Asheville City Councilman Cecil Bothwell is currently the only Democrat who has announced his candidacy.

In addition to Patterson and Meadows, another seven Republicans have indicated they will run:

» Spence Campbell of Hendersonville is a retired military intelligence officer

» Dan Eichenbaum of Murphy is a practicing ophthalmologist

» Jeff Hunt has served as a western N.C. District Attorney since 1994

» Christopher Petrella of Spindale is an economic development consultant

» Susan Harris of Old Fort is an accountant

» Kenny West of Hayesville works in the insurance industry

» Ethan Wingfield of Arden is a tech entrepreneur and strategy executive

The state primary is May 8. General Election Day is Nov. 6.