— UPDATE 3 p.m., Tuesday, July 25
One candidate for the Ward 3 at-large seat on the Henderson City Council has withdrawn from the race and one of the five mayoral candidates faces a challenge that calls into question his eligibility.
Vance County Board of Elections Director Melody Vaughan confirmed Tuesday that Daniel Blasky has withdrawn his name from consideration in the nonpartisan municipal elections set for Oct. 10.
Vance County GOP chairman Jimmy Barrier issued a statement to WIZS News, which read in part: ” After much consideration, Daniel Blasky has decided to withdraw his name from the ballot for Ward 3 At-Large seat on the Henderson City Council to support Michelle Wood in her campaign for that seat. They are friends and have come together to work for the common good.”
Wallace Cheek’s candidacy has been challenged, Vaughan said, adding that this challenge will be heard on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 4 p.m. in the Board of Elections conference before the regularly scheduled board meeting.
Vaughan said Cheek’s residency is in question. At the hearing, Cheek will have to prove that he lives at the address he listed when he filed to run for mayor.
The Aug. 1 hearing is open to the public.
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— UPDATE 3 p.m., Friday, July 21
With the filing period now ended for the upcoming municipal elections in Henderson, the stage is set for possible sweeping changes in the makeup of city leadership. Only one incumbent filed for re-election for his seat on the council; three current council members have filed to run for mayor.
The filing period ended at 12 noon Friday and Vance County Board of Elections Director Melody Vaughan, who provided daily updates to WIZS each afternoon during the two-week filing period, said all candidates are eligible to run for the offices for which they filed.
Henderson voters will choose from among five candidates for mayor. Current Mayor Eddie Ellington announced last week that he would not seek a third term.
The candidates for mayor are:
Wallace Cheek
Sara Coffey
Melissa Elliott
Greg Etheridge
Jason Spriggs
Coffey, Elliott and Spriggs currently sit on the Henderson City Council; only Coffey would be eligible to retain her spot on the council, since she is not up for re-election this year.
Incumbent Mike Rainey filed Thursday, July 20 for re-election to Ward 2. Rainey faces opposition from Sam Seifert and Janice Ward.
Ward 1 has a four-way race, with candidates Geraldine Champion, Symia Crews, Clementine Hunter and Corey Pearson vying for the seat currently held by Marion Brodie Williams. Williams did not file for re-election.
There are now four candidates for the Ward 3 at-large seat and three candidates for the Ward 4 at-large seat.
Kory H. Franklin filed Friday to run for the Ward 3 at-large seat, joining Daniel Blasky, Michael Venable and Michelle Horner Wood; Melissa Elliott is the current council member for that seat.
Former City Council member George M. Daye is seeking to return to the council, filing Friday for the seat he previously held in Ward 4. The two-term council member joins Lora Durham, and Tami Walker, who previously had filed for the Ward 4 at-large seat. The Ward 4 at-large seat is currently held by Jason Spriggs. Wallace Evans withdrew his name for consideration on Friday, Vaughan said.
The non-partisan City of Henderson municipal election is Oct. 10; early voting for the Henderson elections begins Sept. 21 and ends Oct. 7.
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(PLEASE KEEP IN MIND WHAT’S BELOW IS A RUNNING ACCOUNT AND NOT THE FINAL STORY. THE FINAL STORY IS ABOVE.)
— UPDATE 5 p.m., Thursday, July 20
The filing period will end at 12 noon Friday, and presently at least a three-way race exists for each seat available, including a five-way race for mayor and a four-way race for the ward 1 ward seat.
Two additional people filed Thursday, and both filed for the Ward 2 seat. Incumbent Mike Rainey filed, and Sam Seifert filed. So far, Rainey is the only incumbent to file for re-election, in terms of filing for his/her existing seat.
Three sitting council members have filed to run for mayor, and Mayor Eddie Ellington has said he will not seek a third term.
Ward 1 incumbent Marion Williams has not filed to run. While Williams has made no official statement to WIZS nor any statement to local media that WIZS News is aware of, the number of filers from her ward and the public general consensus indicate she will not file.
The non-partisan City of Henderson municipal election is October 10. Early voting for the Henderson elections begins Sept. 21 and ends Oct. 7.
At present, the following races exist:
Filings for Mayor
Wallace Cheek
Sara Coffey
Melissa Elliott
Greg Etheridge
Jason Spriggs
Ward 1
Geraldine Champion
Symia Crews
Clementine Hunter
Corey Pearson
Ward 2
Mike Rainey (Incumbent)
Sam Seifert
Janice Ward
Ward 3 At Large
Daniel Blasky
Michael Venable
Michelle Horner Wood
Ward 4 At Large
Lora Durham
Wallace Evans
Tami Walker
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— UPDATE 5 p.m., Wednesday, July 19
A fourth candidate filed Wednesday for the Ward 1 seat on the Henderson City Council, according to Vance County Board of Elections Director Melody Vaughan.
Symia Crews added her name to the list for the Ward 1 seat.
The filing period for the Oct. 10 municipal elections ends at 12 noon on Friday, July 21.
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— UPDATE 5 p.m., Tuesday, July 18
The field is getting a bit more crowded for a couple of Henderson City Council seats, as three more candidates filed Tuesday, according to Vance County Board of Elections Director Melody Vaughan.
Wallace Evans and Tami Walker filed for the Ward 4 at-large seat, currently held by Jason Spriggs. Corey Pearson filed to run for the Ward 1 seat, currently held by Marion Brodie Williams.
That brings to three candidates each for the Ward 1 seat, and the at-large seats in Wards 3 and 4.
Janice Ward is the sole candidate thus far in the Ward 2 race.
The filing period for the Oct. 10 municipal elections ends at 12 noon on Friday, July 21.
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— UPDATE 5 p.m., Monday, July 17
According to information Monday afternoon from Vance County Board of Elections Director Melody Vaughan, Wallace Cheek has filed for the second time to run for mayor of Henderson. This brings to five the number of candidates vying for the office of mayor.
Two others have filed for seats on the Henderson City Council – Michelle Horner Wood filed for the Ward 3 at-large seat and Lora Durham filed for the Ward 4 at-large seat, Vaughan reported Monday.
Susan Pulley filed Monday for commissioner for the town of Kittrell; Robert B. Tunstall filed Friday, July 14 for commissioner for the town of Kittrell.
The filing period for the upcoming municipal elections ends at 12 noon on Friday, July 21.
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— UPDATE 7 p.m., Thursday, July 13
There is now a four-way race for mayor of Henderson following Jason Spriggs’s filing today. Spriggs currently holds the Ward 4 at-large seat on the Henderson City Council.
Clementine Hunter also filed Thursday for the Ward 1 seat on the Henderson council, according to Melody Vaughan, director of the Vance County Board of Elections. Geraldine Champion had already filed to run for the Ward 1 seat, which is currently held by Marion Brodie Williams.
The Ward 3 at-large seat is also a contested race, with both Daniel Blasky and Michael Venable candidates who have filed to run. This seat currently is being held by Melissa Elliott, who is one of the mayoral candidates. Sara Coffey is the other council member who has announced her candidacy for mayor. Coffey is the only one of the three council members who could retain her seat on the council since her term is not ending.
Gregory Etheridge filed Wednesday to run for mayor. Etheridge is president of Gupton Services.
The Ward 4 at-large seat remains without a filer at this time, since Spriggs put his hat into the ring with his filing Thursday.
Janice Ward filed for the Ward 2 seat, currently held by Mike Rainey.
The filing period continues through 12 noon on Friday, July 21.
The municipal election is Oct. 10 and there will be an early voting period, but the early voting polling sites have not been determined at this time, Vaughan said.
Hazel Baskett has filed for a seat on the Middleburg Town Council.
Mary Jo Floyd has filed to run for Kittrell town commissioner.
Wallace Cheek had filed to run for mayor of Henderson, but state elections officials removed his name late Tuesday after it was confirmed he does not live within the Henderson city limits.