GATESVILLE – Gates County registered voters will find a busy ballot during the May Primary.

The office of Gates County Board of Elections Supervisor Virginia Moore was one busy place prior to high noon last Tuesday (Feb. 28). There, on the final day to file for the May Primary, Moore saw three candidates throw their proverbial hats into the political arena.

Those three newcomers are each challenging an incumbent member of the Gates County Board of Commissioners.

Charles Sherwood Eason of Gatesville, Wade Howell Askew of Eure and H. Kenneth Jernigan of Gates filed for the Board of Commissioners. Respectively, they will challenge incumbents David R. Brown of Gates (1st District), William H. Harrell of Eure (2nd District) and Marsha F. Langston of Gates (3rd District).

There will be one other contested race on the May ballot in Gates County as Paul Toti of Hobbsville has filed for the Board of Education (District 5) seat currently held by Leslie Byrum, also of Hobbsville.

Byrum, who has filed for reelection, is one of three School Board members whose seats are on this year’s ballot. The other two incumbents, Doug Lilley of Gatesville (District 1) and Glendale Boone of Gates (District 3), are running unopposed.

Also facing no opposition in the May Primary are Gates County Clerk of Court Nell Wiggins and Gates County Sheriff Ed Webb. They have each filed for another four-year term in their respective positions.