Those seeking political office had until noon today to file for this year’s election. Two races in particular are fielding a large number of candidates.
The first race is for US Senate. Here’s a fun fact: so many people are vying for that seat the state took in $19,110 in filing fees.
There will be 13 names on primary ballots and three parties will have a primary.
The Republican Primary will feature eight of those names. They include Speaker Thom Tillis and Tea Party-backed Greg Brannon, along with Mark Harris, a founding member of Vote for Marriage N.C., which pushed the state constitutional amendment that banned gay marriage. Also in the race is Jim Snyder, a former member of the General Assembly who ran for Senate in 2002 but lost out to Elizabeth Dole.
For the Democrats, Senator Hagan will face off against Ernest Reeves of Greenville and Will Stewart, a former carpenter and IT specialist. But it’s not clear how well-funded or organized Hagan’s opponents will be.
As for Libertarians seeking the U.S. Senate seat: Sean Haugh the former executive director of the state party will face off against Tim D’Annunzio, a former Republican who ran for congress in 2010. You might remember his “Machine Gun” themed fundraisers.
If that wasn’t enough names for you, a second race features an equally crowded field of contenders.
Nine Republicans and two Democrats filed paperwork to run for North Carolina’s sixth congressional district. That seat was left open when Representative Howard Coble, a Rrepublican, announced last year he would not seek re-election. He is currently North Carolina’s longest serving Representative.
