LAURINBURG — Four more incumbents filed for seats on the Scotland County Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education for Scotland County Schools.
Incumbent Commissioner Darrell B.J. Gibson filed as a Democrat for reelection to his seat on the Scotland County Board of Commissioners, representing the Williamson District.
Also filing this week was incumbent Clarence McPhatter who is seeking reelection to the seat representing the Stawartsville District.
On the Board of Education, Carolyn Banks is seeking reelection to the seat representing an At-Large seat. Incumbent Tony Spaulding also filed for reelection to the board, representing one of the three available Stewartsville District seats.
In state races, another two people filed for the District 48 seat on the North Carolina House of Representatives, currently held by Rep. Garland Pierce, a Democrat.
Republicans Melissa Swarbrick and James Diaz filed this week for the seat, making for a competitive race in the primaries.
Swarbrick, a Hoke County resident, announced her plans to seek election in 2024 at the Aug. 28 Scotland County GOP meeting, according to information submitted to The Laurinburg Exchange. Swarbrick lost in the 2022 general election to longtime incumbent Pierce by 1,587 votes.
“I am eager to run again to represent the people of Hoke and Scotland Counties,” Swarbrick said in a statement. “We won Scotland County last election, and we have big plans to capitalize on the grassroots efforts we started back in 2022. With 2024 being a presidential election year, we expect to see a large increase in turnout over 2022. We hope everyone educates themselves on the candidates and exercises their right to vote.”
Swarbrick is originally from Asheville. She received her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was a small business owner in Moore County until moving to Hoke County in 2015.
Also filing this week in state races is Kathy Batt, a Lumberton Democrat, who is seeking seat 24 on the North Carolina Senate. The seat is held by Sen. Danny Earl Britt Jr., a Republican, who filed Monday for reelection.
Candidate filing for most contests in the 2024 elections began at noon on Monday and ends at noon on Dec. 15. Once filed, the deadline to withdraw a notice of candidacy is Tuesday.
Depending on the office sought, candidates will file their Notice of Candidacy and pay their filing fees either at their county board of elections office or with the State Board of Elections at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.
Candidates for N.C. House, N.C. Senate, and local offices file with their respective county board of elections.
Candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Auditor, Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Labor, Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Treasurer, N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice (Seat 6), N.C. Court of Appeals Judge (Seats 12, 14, and 15), Superior Court Judge (various districts), District Court Judge (various districts) and District Attorney (Districts 12, 29, 32, and 37) file in Raleigh.
The 2024 primary election is March 5. The general election is Nov. 5.
The Laurinburg Exchange will report on filings as they are announced. Those who filed on Friday will be named in Wednesday’s edition of The Laurinburg Exchange.
Tomeka Sinclair is the editor of the Laurinburg Exchange. She can be reached at tsinclair@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.