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4 candidates filed so far for 3 commissioner seats

COLUMBUS—Polk County residents have until Friday, Dec. 20 to file for local elections. 

Filing for the 2020 ends Friday, with candidates able to file at the Polk County Board of Elections in Columbus. 

Filing opened on Dec. 2 and will close on Dec. 20. Filing can be done at the Polk County Board of Elections Office, located on the second floor of the Womack building in Columbus for local elections. 

There are three open seats for the county board of commissioners. The seats of Ray Gasperson (D), Myron Yoder (R) and Jake Johnson (R) are up for re-election. Johnson resigned this summer after being appointed as a state representative following the resignation of Cody Henson. The county appointed David Moore (R) to fill Johnson’s seat. Moore will have to run for re-election in order to retain the seat. 

Gasperson, Moore and Yoder have all filed as well as newcomer Andre Overholt (R) for the commissioner seats. 

The Polk County Register of Deeds is also up for re-election, currently held by Sheila Whitmire (R), who has filed for re-election. 

There will also be open Polk County School Board seats open this year, as well as Polk County Soil and Water Conservation Supervisor seats. 

Seats on the school board open next year include Saluda, Tryon, White Oak and Columbus. So far, newcomer Sara Bell has filed for the Saluda seat currently held by Rhonda Corley; incumbent Rick Covil has filed for the Tryon seat; incumbent Cindy Allen has filed for the White Oak seat and Danielle Gibbs has filed for the Columbus seat along with Robbie Price. Gibbs was appointed to fill the open seat earlier this year by then chairman Geoff Tennant, who passed away over the summer. 

A primary for state, federal and county seats will be held on March 3, 2020. There will be no primary election for school board or the soil and water conservation supervisor positions. The general election will be held in November 2020. 

During the primary in March, Polk County voters will be selecting a presidential candidate; U.S. Senate; N.C. Governor; N.C. Lieutenant Governor; N.C. Auditor; N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture; N.C. Commissioner of Insurance; N.C. Commissioner of Labor; N.C. Secretary of State; N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction; N.C. Treasurer; N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Seat 01; N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 02; N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Seat 04; N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Seat 05; N.C. Court of Appeals Judge Seat 06; N.C. State Senate District 47; N.C. House of Representatives District 113; N.C. District Court Judge District 29B Seat 01; N.C. District Court Judge District 29B Seat 02; N.C. District Court Judge District 29B Seat 03; N.C. District Court Judge District 29B Seat 04; the Polk County Board of Commissioners and the Polk County Register of Deeds. 

A primary is held when more people file than seats are to be had for each party. 

Johnson has filed for the N.C. House of Representatives District 113 seat in which he was appointed earlier this year. 

If not more than three people file for Polk County Board of Commissioners as republicans or democrats, no primary will be needed. As of Thursday afternoon, no primary will be needed for a local race. There will have to be at least one more republican and three more democrats to file in order to force a primary for the commissioner race.