WS Chronicle

Most City Council members file to run for their seats

Chronicle Staff Report

Sen. Paul Lowe Jr., a Democrat, has filed to run for the 32nd Senatorial District of North Carolina, seeking election for his first full term of office. He joins most of the Winston-Salem City Council members in filing to run on Tuesday, Dec. 1, the opening day of the filing period for 2016 races.

Next year will be the first City Council election affected by a 2011 state law that changed the city’s elections from being held by themselves on odd numbered years to being held on even numbered years with presidential elections.

The General Assembly moved the primary from May 10 to March 15. These changes are on top of a new requirement that voters show a government-issued photo ID, or fill out a form on why they couldn’t get one, in order to vote in 2016.

However, there are legal challenges to the voter ID law that could overturn it, possibly before the primaries.

Winston-Salem is one of only a few municipalities that has had its municipal elections changed to even years.

There were 40 different contests before Forsyth County voters in 2012. Adding the mayor and eight City Council races along with a statewide Connect NC bond, which will likely be on the primary ballot, will make for a longer ballot.

Lowe, who also is pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, is new to elected office.

Local Democratic Party leaders met in January and appointed Lowe to fill the unexpired term of former N.C. Sen. Earline Parmon, who resigned from office to join the staff of U.S. Rep. Alma Adams.

“Our families deserve a strong voice on education, jobs and economic opportunities,” Lowe said in a statement. “…There’s much work ahead of us.”

Besides Lowe, the following candidates filed on Tuesday to seek their current positions:

*Joyce Krawiec, N.C. State Senate, District 31, Republican

*Evelyn Terry, N.C. House of Representatives, District 71, Democrat

*Debra Conrad, N.C. House of Representatives, District 74, Republican

*Dave Plyer, Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, District B, Republican

*Gloria D. Whisenhunt, Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, District B

*C. Norman Holleman, Forsyth County Register of Deeds, Democrat

*Allen Joines,  City of Winston-Salem, Mayor,  Democrat

*Derwin L. Montgomery,  Winston-Salem City Council, East Ward,  Democrat

*Denise “DD” Adams,  Winston-Salem City Council, North Ward,  Democrat

*Jeff MacIntosh,  Winston-Salem City Council, Northwest Ward,  Democrat

*James Taylor,  Winston-Salem City Council, Southeast Ward, Democrat

*Dan Besse,  Winston-Salem City Council, Southwest Ward,  Democrat

*Robert Clark, Winston-Salem City Council, West Ward, Democrat

Mayor Pro Tempore Vivian Burke and South Ward Council Member Molly Leight are the only City Council members who did not file on Tuesday.

Residents are able to file at the Forsyth County Board of Elections for federal, state and local offices. The filing period closes on Dec. 21.