THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 3, 1996 TAG: 9602030361
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
A lot of Albemarle incumbents are just a morning away from easy re-election.
The filing period closes at noon Monday for would-be legislators, commissioners, school board members and registers of deeds - possibly leaving some bare-bones ballots for the May 7 primaries.
However, some hot races have developed. In Dare County, Republicans have jumped into the fray for nearly every seat.
Two downstate Democrats have challenged first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr. in the 3rd Congressional District.
Camden County is scheduled to hold its first Republican primary in living memory. And Pasquotank County has two races on its hands for Board of Education seats.
But for most races in most counties, voters will have little to choose from in the spring primary unless a flood of new blood pours into election offices Monday morning.
And the Albemarle's representatives in the General Assembly so far seem headed for smooth rides back into office: State Reps. Bill Owens and Bill Culpepper, and state Sen. Marc Basnight, are currently in the clear.
That suits Owens just fine.
``I think anybody that's political and says they wouldn't be happy not to have opposition would be fibbing to you,'' Owens, a 1st District Democrat, said Friday. ``I haven't been doing a whole lot of calling and checking on it,'' he added. ``I'm trying to keep my mind off of it.''
Dare County candidates won't have it so easy, because there are numerous candidates for county commissioner and the Board of Education. Kenneth D. Johnson and W.L. ``Bill'' Hauschild, both of Colington, were the latest to file.
Johnson is seeking the at-large seat on the Board of Education, and will face incumbent Sam Twifford of Manteo in the nonpartisan election May 7.
Hauschild, a Republican, will face two others battling for the GOP nomination for the 2nd District seat on the Board of Commissioners in the May 7 primary. The seat is held by Democrat R.V ``Bobby'' Owens Jr. of Nags Head, who is seeking re-election.
In some counties, people are still talking about filling in the ballot gaps before high noon Monday.
Two Washington County Democrats were still threatening to challenge Culpepper in the 86th District. And Republicans had earlier promised to run someone for every seat in Pasquotank County.
But time is running out for the Republicans, who hadn't produced a single name for a partisan Pasquotank office by Friday. That leaves two Democratic commissioners unopposed and one Democrat seeking an open seat. As with Elizabeth City's elections last fall, not a single Pasquotank incumbent has been challenged.
No one filed all week in Currituck County, leaving two school board members, and the register of deeds, unchallenged. A Republican and a Democrat have filed for two county commissioner seats.
In Camden County, three Democrats filed last week for register of deeds. The winner of that primary will face one of at least two Republicans who have filed so far. But as of Friday, two sitting county commissioners are going unchallenged. Three people have filed for two school board seats.
No Republicans have filed for partisan offices in Perquimans County; so far, four people are running for three school board seats, and four Democrats are in a primary for three county commissioner seats. Two Democrats have filed for the register of deeds post.
In Chowan County, one Democrat has filed for register of deeds and one for each of four county commissioner seats - which means no contested races. Chowan's Board of Education members are chosen later in the year. by CNB