Primary Day is here, who’s going to make it past round 1?

Commentary | The Shelby Independent

OPINION — It’s March 3, the day most candidates have been waiting for (those that have a primary) and it couldn’t be sweeter or finer than to be in Carolina during this election of attrition, as many candidates have continued to nuke each other into oblivion right up to today.

In the local races, Tim Moore is facing off across the wolf in sheep’s clothing: Kate Barr, pretending to be a Republican. This race has only been vicious from her side, constantly attacking Moore. It’s possible Barr could potentially garner up to 20% of the Republican vote count across the entire district, which would be shocking, but that is yet to be determined and looks as if Moore has this primary firmly in on his side.

In the heaviest and most “shots fired” race in Cleveland County, newcomer Dr. Caroline Eason and Incumbent Kelly Hastings have gone more rounds than Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1971, for the NC HOUSE 110 Seat.

Hastings accused Eason of not being pro 2A immediately after she gave a way a rifle and a shotgun in a raffle drawing. Eason hit back at Hastings over his voting record attendance. Round after round, these two have battled it out with the incumbent throwing the heavy artillery and the green Eason taking each hit and just about giving it as good as she took. And, while it’s too soon to call (as of publication of this opinion to know) it looks like this one is going to be a close race.

Both Rep. Hastings and Eason have strong supporters and campaigned hard for this primary. If these two candidates have proven anything it’s that they both can take a beating and keep on going. The winner of the Red Primary will face Blue Mary Silver in November.

The Republican Board of Education primary comes in second place for most apocalyptic contested race.  While the Democrats don’t have a primary this time, the Republicans are fighting one another like a scene from a medieval battle, just every man for himself, muddy and messy, slashing and kill or be killed, as the biggest casualty of this race has most definitely been Board of Ed. Incumbent Ronnie Grigg.  He’s lost a metaphorical arm, leg, and maybe a kidney and a pancreas in this fight, as he has taken hit after hit from mysterious attacks across all forms of communication.

Grigg, who somehow remains standing, is in a hard fight for his seat tonight, as he and eight other Republicans are vying for four primary spots on the coveted school board.

Former board members Robert Queen and Rodney Fitch, who lost their seats in the last election, are pushing to regain their positions as Queen is in the middle of a potential legal suit against an online writer / blogger who has expressed his disdain for Queen on several occasions; showing that both Grigg and Queen have taken beatings via proxy fights from who knows who all, and from one other.

Meanwhile, Incumbents Danny Blanton and Aaron Bridges look to be the favorable candidates tonight, with potentially the most vote-getters in this primary. Both had strong support in their last election and are vying to retain their dominance in the voting booth again tonight.

Newcomers, Brandon Bridges, Shelia Canipe and the lesser known but equally determined challengers Jay Carpenter and Stephen Smith look to each gain a seat on the board. Only time will tell whether their support is enough to take them across the line or send them home to try again in a couple of years.

Whoever comes out as the four horsemen winners tonight, on the Republican school board ticket, will still have to face Democrats Coleman Hunt and Jenny White in the November election, later this year.

In the upper echelons of county politics, seven candidates are all expecting to win just two seats on the Board of County Commissioners.

Incumbents Doug Bridges (how many Bridges are there?) and Deb Hardin are looking to retain their dominance, but it’s a uphill battle for both after coming off a year of extremely high property tax reevaluations.

While their support has potentially wavered among voters, there’s a chance at least one of them could possibly retain a seat on the county commission, but realistically it’s highly doubtful both of them will be sworn in for another term come December.

While the political veterans hope for retention, the green troops are gathering their own support and strong footings, as Denise Wright (who ran once before) and newcomers Josh Biddix, Wayne King, Billy Scruggs, and Laura Boggs Tharrington have their eyes on the top prize, too.

All seven of these commissioner candidates hope to be one of two finalists that make it past the primaries. But, only time will tell and the voters will be the judge of that outcome.

The two winners of tonight’s election will face off against Democrats David Peace and Curtis Pressley in the general.

Speaking of judges: NC Court of Appeals Seat 01 will see hopeful Matt Smith facing off against Michael C Byrne, whom Smith has repeatedly questioned Byrne’s loyalty to the Republican Party during this election.  It’ll be interesting to see who comes out of this one riding the coveted bench.

NC Court of Appeals Seat 03, has a Democrat run-off between James Wheldon Whalen Christine Marie Walczyk.  This race will be a close primary and by a limited number of Democrats in Cleveland County, which may or may not help determine the outcome statewide.

And, last but not least, the Democrat primary for U.S. Congressional District NC 14 will see either Brent Caldwell, Lakesha Womack or Ahmid Kargbo facing off against U.S. Congressman Tim Moore in the general election this November.

Other races not mentioned will be determined in November.

The Shelby Independent will provide live coverage March 3 as results come in; stay tuned and locked on the Facebook page with results on the website the next morning.

The Shelby Independent