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By Scott McLeod
•Last day to register to vote in primary elections or to swith parties is Friday, April 12.
•General election is Nov. 5
Another election season has arrived.
With the passing of the March 1 filing deadline and no indication that a court challenge to the state’s redistricting plan will delay the May 7 primary, candidates are lining up throughout Western North Carolina.
Perhaps the most high-profile race regionally will be the rematch between U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor (R-Brevard), a six-term incumbent, and Sam Neill (D-Hendersonville.) Neither faces a primary challenge, so the race isn’t likely to heat up until this summer.
Taylor beat Neill handily two years ago in what some observers called the nastiest race ever conducted in WNC. This year Neill has promised to run a more positive, issue-oriented campaign to delineate the differences between he and Taylor.
Since it is an off-presidential year election, turnout is generally expected to be light. However, several key primary races in Western North Carolina counties could attract a larger-than-usual turnout.
In Macon County, incumbent Sheriff Homer Holbrook’s decision not to seek re-election after four terms has let loose a floodgate of potential successors. Among those is five current employees of the sheriff’s department. All told, six Republicans and four Democrats will vie against each other in May for the chance to get to the November general election.
One of those challengers is Capt. Pat Taylor.
“As far as I’m concerned this will be a very clean race. I refuse to involve myself in dirty politics,” said Taylor.
Taylor said she knew a lot of people were interested in the seat, but the final number was surprising.
In Jackson County there is also a primary battle to be sheriff as three other Democrats have lined up against incumbent James Cruzan. One of those challengers if former chief deputy Jimmy Ashe, who resigned from the sheriff’s department in August 2001.
“I resigned be-cause I felt some very major cases were handled inappropriately,” said Ashe.
In Haywood County, the ongoing debate over a new justice center and jail will likely be a major focus of both the primary and general election. Three seats are open on the county board and 11 Democrats and five Republicans are seeking those seats. Incumbent Chairman Jim Stevens is not going to run again.
“It has just taken more time than I expected,” said Stevens, who is a retired associate superintendent of the Haywood school system.
Incumbents Mary Ann Enloe and Wade Francis are running again. Francis said he has been up front with citizens about the courthouse debate.
“I’ve told people where I stood. I have not hid a thing in the world,” said Francis.
Democrat Mark Swanger, who is currently chairman of the school board and has won two consecutive terms for that position, is also running in the Democratic primary. He says he will draw attention to the process the county commissioners have used as they have struggled with the courthouse issue.
“The way the board conducts its business is not right. It has a dysfunctional decision-making process,” said Swanger.
While Democrats have long held the majority on the Haywood County Board, several well-known Repub-licans have also filed for this year’s election. Clarissa Kuehn, the chairman of the county’s Republican Party, said she is optimistic that this year’s slate of candidates will have a good showing in November.
“I am delighted with the caliber of candidates we have assembled,” said Kuehn. “I think we will have some excellent choices.”
“Times are changing in Western North Carolina,” said Kuehn. “People are realizing that there is more than one party with good candidates.”
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