A trio of last-minute filers has added to the intrigue of an already interesting race for two of the three seats on the Hertford County Board of Commissioners.

Meanwhile, two new races have developed in Northampton County.

At the close of filing at 12 noon on Monday (Dec. 21), a four-man race has developed for the District 2 seat on the Hertford County Board of Commissioners. There, incumbent Commissioner Ronald Gating will face a trio of challengers – current Ahoskie Town Councilman Maurice Vann, Darren Smallwood Jr. and Scott Outlaw. Smallwood filed late Friday afternoon, and Outlaw filed Monday morning.

Also filing Monday was Craig Castello for District 1 Hertford County Commissioner. That seat is currently held by Gary Lewter, appointed earlier this year to fill the unexpired term of former Commissioner Howard Hunter III following his election to the North Carolina House of Representatives (5th District).

Lewter filed earlier to maintain that seat. Last week, John Horton, the former senior member of the county’s Board of Education who was defeated in his reelection bid in 2014, filed for Lewter’s seat.

District 3 Hertford County Commissioner Bill Mitchell filed two weeks ago. There are no challengers for his seat on the board.

Also seeking reelection in Hertford County is Register of Deeds Melanie Storey. She is unopposed.

A race also developed Monday for District 1 Northampton County Commissioner as Charles Tyner of Conway filed for that seat. Incumbent District 1 Commissioner Joe Barrett, also of Conway, had previously filed for reelection.

Another Northampton County local government incumbent also faces a challenge in the March Primary. On Monday, Mary Faison filed for Register of Deeds. She will challenge Robin Williams who was appointed Register last year to fill an unexpired term.

Previously filing in Northampton is District 2 incumbent Commissioner Virginia Spruill of Rich Square. She is being challenged by Geneva Nicole Riddick, also of Rich Square.

Also, four individuals have filed for a seat on the Northampton County Board of Education, including incumbent Clinton Williams along with Lloyd Daquan Pitman, Richie Harding and Tyrone Hargrove.

There were no new filings in Bertie County. Previously filing were incumbent Register of Deeds Annie Wilson of Windsor, and District 1 County Commissioner Ronald “Ron” Wesson, also of Windsor.

Bertie Elections Director Shelia Holloman reported that two individuals have filled out paperwork to be on the November General Election ballot as unaffiliated candidates. One is incumbent District 4 County Commissioner John Trent of Lewiston-Woodvillle. Trent won the seat in 2012 as an unaffiliated candidate. The other is Kashi B. Hall of Windsor, who is seeking the District 1 Commissioner’s seat. Both of those unaffiliated candidates are required to gain the signatures (on a petition) of four percent of the total number of registered voters in Bertie County. The deadline for submitting that petition to the Bertie Board of Elections office is June 24, 2016.

There were two new filings in Gates County last week, both Republicans, as Anthony Adams is seeking to earn the Register of Deeds seat while Johnny Dwayne Wiggins filed for the Hobbsville District seat on the county’s Board of Commissioners.

Previously filing in Gates County were incumbent Democrats Cathy Horton for Register of Deeds; County Commissioners Linda Hofler (Hobbsville District), and Henry Jordan (Sunbury District); and non-partisan Board of Education members Ray Felton (Eure District), and Claire Whitehurst (Corapeake District).

All three incumbents representing the Roanoke-Chowan area in the North Carolina General Assembly have filed: Hunter and District 27 member Michael Wray in the NC House, and District 3 State Senator Erica Smith-Ingram. No candidates, Democrat or Republican, filed against either Hunter or Smith-Ingram. However, Wray will face Democratic opposition in March as Franklin D. Williams Jr. of Weldon has filed for that seat.

Each of the four incumbent judges in Judicial District 6 have filed for reelection. They are Chief Judge Brenda Branch along with Judges Teresa Raquel Robinson Freeman, Vershenia Ballance Moody, and William Turner Stephenson III.

The Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The deadline to register to vote in the Primary is 25 days prior to that election.