With candidate filing period over, more Dare County races on tap for 2024

December 19, 2023 | Local News | By: Mark Jurkowitz

The seven Dare County Board of Commissioners in 2023. Front Row: Vice Chairman Wally Overman, Chairman Robert Woodard Sr., Commissioner Steve House. Second Row: Commissioner Danny Couch, Commissioner Ervin Bateman, Commissioner Bea Basnight, Commissioner Rob Ross

Now that the 2024 candidate filing deadline is over and the smoke has cleared, there are some other competitive races that will be on the ballot for Dare County voters next year. (This is an update of a Voice story published on Dec. 8 when the filing period was about halfway over that listed the candidates who had filed by that point.)

The filings between that date and the Dec. 15 deadline show there will be two additional general election contests to represent Dare County in the North Carolina State House. In the District 1 NC Senate contest, incumbent Republican Senator Bobby Hanig will face a challenge from Susan Harman-Scott, a Democrat from Nags Head. In the NC House, incumbent Republican Ed Goodwin, who represents part of Dare County in District 1, will face off against Democratic challenger Susan Sawin of Kitty Hawk, who chairs the Dare County Democratic Party.

At the Dare County Commissioner level, current Republican Board Chair Bob Woodard (District 2), who will face Democrat Katie Morgan in the general election, also has a Republican primary challenger. He is Christian Thomas Hayman of Kill Devil Hills. The incumbent Dare County Commissioner from District 3, Republican Steve House, has acquired a Democratic opponent for next November. He is Dennis Zaenger of Duck.

The last week of the filing period also set up some general election contests for the Dare County Board of Education. Aside from Carl Woody, who previously confirmed his decision not to seek re-election for the District 1 seat, another Republican incumbent on the board of education, Susan Bothwell, told the Voice she is not seeking another term as the District 2 candidate, citing personal reasons.

In her absence, there will be a general election battle for that vacant seat between Democrat Haley Carey of Nags Head and Republic Lisa Lloyd of Nags Head. In the contest for the vacant District 4 seat on the board of education, Republican Kenny Brite of Avon will compete against Democrat Heather Euler of Buxton. Republican Mary Ellon Ballance is leaving the ed board in order to seek the District 4 seat on the Dare County Board of Commissioners that opened up after Democrat Danny Couch decided not to seek re-election.

One other Republican incumbent on the board of education, At-large Representative David Twiddy of Manteo, will also face a Democrat next November. She is Melissa Zehner, a resident of Southern Shores.