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Nonpartisan
school-board runoff
tops local races in this fall's election
The seats they seek are presently held by Board Chairman Todd Sutton and Terri Sessoms, who chose not to seek re-election this year, and Al Byrd, who finished out of the running in the Primary Election. Four of the candidates – Terry Tippett, Rick Mercier, Mark Lane, and Michelle Antoine – ran for school-board seats that were up for election two years ago but finished behind winning candidates Ronald Johnson, Lyn Andrews, Kay Carroll, and Mike Wooten, whose seats are up for election in 2024. A $177-million school-bond issue is also on the ballot this fall. It's the first of three bond issues proposed over the next four years to finance construction and renovation of schools to house Johnston County's projected student-population growth by the end of this decade. Johnston's property taxpayers would be underwriting the bond financing. Proponents of the three issues say they can be phased in without an increase in the county's property-tax rate. For county commissioner, there's just one contest on the ballot this fall: between Republican April Stephens, who was appointed to the Board of Commissioners earlier this year to temporarily fill a vacancy, and Evelyn Sanders, who was nominated by leaders of the Democratic Party since Ms. Stephens was appointed after Primary Election ballots were printed. Incumbent county commissioners running opposed in the General Election are Republicans Dickie Braswell, Patrick Harris, and Board Chairman Butch Lawter. For seats in the N.C. General Assembly, Democrat Gettys Cohen Jr. and Republican Benton Sawrey are competing for Johnston County's seat in the State Senate while Republican incumbent Larry Strickland and Democrat Wendy Ella May are seeking the seat in the N.C. House of Representatives for a district that encompasses Smithfield, most of Johnston County (except Clayton and Archer Lodge), and a portion of Harnett County. For a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from a new district that encompasses all of Johnston County and parts of Harnett, Wake, and Wayne counties, Republican Bo Hines is competing against Democrat Wiley Nickel. Statewide races include a contest for U.S. senator between Democrat Cheri Beasley and Republican Ted Budd and races for several seats on the N.C. Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. VIEW the complete SAMPLE BALLOT for all of Smithfield's precincts>
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