03/29/2024
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Election filing gets underway for 2016 election in Bladen County1
Jimmie Smith, left, Wayne Edge, David Gooden

By: Erin Smith

The filing period for the 2016 election got underway at noon on Tuesday.

Election filing gets underway for 2016 election in Bladen County

The filing period ends at noon on December 21. The primary will be held in March.

Those who filed Tuesday included incumbent N.C. House member William Brisson (pictured, left) of Dublin, who has served five terms in Raleigh representing District 22.

Michael_CogdellIncumbent Bladen County Commissioners Jimmie Smith, G. Michael Cogdell (pictured, right), Daniel Dowless and Wayne Edge also filed Tuesday. Others who filed for seats on the commission were David Gooden, Pamela Benton and Ophelia Munn-Goins.

In Board of Education races, District 3 incumbent Bonnell Walker filed as did District 1 challenger Glenn C. McKoy, who served on the board from 2012 to 2014 after being appointed to the seat.

Smith, Cogdell and Benton filed for county-wide seats for the Democratic primary while Gooden, who served on the board from 2008 to 2012, filed for the Republican primary. Six-term incumbent Billy Ray Pait, the lone Republican on the board, has announced he will not seek re-election to his count-wide seat.

Ophelia_Munn_GoinsMunn-Goins (pictured, right) currently serves as chair of the Board of Education, but filed to run for the commission District 1 seat. Seven-term incumbent Dr. Delilah Blanks has announced plans not to run for one of two seats in the district.

Brisson said he is seeking re-election to his seat because “it is still about the people.”

“It’s different. It is certainly a challenge today. It is sad to see our rural areas losing our clout,” said Brisson.

“I’ve been asked to run,” said Gooden of his reasons to file for election to one of the available County Commissioner Countywide seats.

Edge said he has enjoyed his time on the board as he filed seeking re-election to his County Commissioner District 3 seat.

“I have enjoyed serving the last four years. I hope I can continue to serve the people of Bladen County,” said Edge.

Smith said that he has had a lot of people ask him to file for re-election.

“I’m straight up honest,” said Smith. “If the good Lord is willing, and the people want me to serve again, I will.”

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