Filing period opens in Mecklenburg, Gaston counties

Lake Wylie voters won’t elect new municipal leaders this fall, but communities around the lake will.

Charlotte voters will decide on a mayor this fall, along with seven City Council district seats and four more at-large seats. Three seats on the Mecklenburg County School Board come due, too. Candidate filing began July 6 and runs through July 17.

Those same dates apply in Gaston County. Belmont has three City Council seats up for vote this fall, at four years each. Mount Holly has its mayor and three council seats up for election. Cramerton has three town commissioner seats.

Names came in quickly once the filing periods opened. As of Lake Wylie Pilot press time July 10, 22 candidates were on board for elections in Charlotte. Democrats David Howard and Jennifer Roberts filed for mayor, as did Republican Edwin Peacock. Non-partisan candidates for at-large board of education seats include Larry Bumgarner, Elyse Dashew, Levester Flowers, Jeremy Stephenson and Amelia Stinson-Wesley.

At-large Charlotte City Council candidates will include at least six Democrats with Darrell Bonapart, Julie Eiselt, Claire Green Fallon, Shawn Greeson, Billy Maddalon and James “Smuggie” Mitchell. Republicans are John Powell Jr. and David Rice.

LaWana Mayfield, who represents much of the Steele Creek area in Dist. 3, will again run for that seat.

Incumbents Martha Stowe and Charlie Flowers will be up for re-election to Belmont City Council. Mayor Bryan Hough and council candidates Jason Gowen, Ben Taylor, Perry Toomey, Carolyn Holbrook Breyare and Richard Barnes are signed on in Mount Holly. Cramerton has candidates in Sandra Ware, Susan Neeley, Donald Rice and Houston Helms for town commissioner.

York County filing opens Aug. 5 and runs through Sept. 4. There are no York County Council seats up for election. Tega Cay has two city council seats on the ballot.

Clover has its mayor and six council seats for election, and both Fort Mill and York have mayor and three council seats open.

Primary elections in Mecklenburg County are Sept. 15. The general election is Nov. 3.

This story was originally published July 10, 2015 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Filing period opens in Mecklenburg, Gaston counties."