By Taylor Sisk
Staff Writer
Three more candidates filed this week to run for four seats on the Orange County Board of Commissioners in the May 8 primaries.
Chapel Hill Town Council member Penny Rich and former Carrboro Board of Aldermen member Mark Dorosin will be running against incumbent Pam Hemminger, who filed last week, for two seats in District 1. All three are Democrats. Mary Carter, a Republican, filed to run for an at-large seat.
Incumbent Democrat Bernadette Pelissier had previously filed to run for an at-large seat. Incumbent Steve Yuhasz and Renee Price are running in the Democratic primary for one District 2 seat, and Chris Weaver will run for the same seat in the Republican primary.
In state Senate District 23, which includes Orange County, Republican Dave Carter has filed to run. Democrat Sen. Ellie Kinnaird had previously announced her intention to run for a ninth term.
In the N.C. House of Representatives District 50 race, Democrat Travis Phelps filed to run against Orange County Commissioner Valerie Foushee, who announced last week her intention to run for the seat.
Under redistricting plans, District 50 will include portions of Orange and Durham counties. That seat is now held by Bill Faison, who announced he will seek the Democratic nomination for governor.
Thomas Samuel Wright filed to run for the Republican nomination for the District 50 seat, joining Rod Chaney and W. Lewis Hannah Jr., who both filed last week, in that race.
In District 56, which includes Carrboro and Chapel Hill, Republican Karrie Mead announced she will run for the seat held by Rep. Verla Insko. Insko, a Democrat, announced last week that she would run for reelection.
Chatham County
In House District 54, Republican Cathy Wright and Democrats Deb McManus, a member of the Chatham County Board of Education, and Jeff Starkweather will seek election to the seat held by Joe Hackney, who announced he will not run for reelection. The newly drawn District 54 includes all of Chatham County and a portion of Lee County.
Republican Sam Shriver filed to run for the District 1 seat on the Chatham County Board of Commissioners. Democrat Sally Kost announced last week she will seek reelection to that seat. Mike Cross had previously filed to run for reelection to his District 2 seat, and remains unchallenged.
David Hamm will seek reelection to his District 2 seat on the Chatham County Board of Education. Karen Howard filed last week to run for the District 1 seat. The board of education races are nonpartisan.
Chatham County Register of Deeds Treva Seagroves, a Democrat, also filed to run for reelection.
The deadline for filing for all offices is noon on Feb. 29.