Friday, February 22, 2008

Ivester files for Congressional seat

Democrat Steve Ivester filed for the 10th District Congressional seat Friday. Ivester faces fellow Hickory resident Daniel Johnson in the May primary.
Here is Ivester’s news release.

McHenry files for re-election

U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry filed for re-election this week. Obviously, no surprise here. The young Congressman seems to enjoy his time in Washington. Many observers believe the 32-year-old plans to be there a long time.
But his path to retaining his seat in 2008 appears significantly more difficult than in 2006, when he faced no Republican opposition and a relatively unknown Democrat in Richard Carsner. Carsner ran a spirited campaign, although the outcome was never really in doubt. Carsner garnered roughly 40 percent of the vote in the heavily-conservative 10-county district.
McHenry faces Republican military attorney Lance Sigmon in the May primary. Two Hickory residents, Daniel Johnson and Steve Ivester, compete for the Democratic nomination.

The following is McHenry’s news release from Thursday. Ivester also filed this week. Johnson filed last week. Their releases follow.

Beatty files for re-election

Catawba County Board of Commissioner Barbara Beatty filed for re-election last week. Beatty, a native of the Balls Creek area, will seek her third four-year term.

Here is Beatty’s news release from Friday.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Sigmon: I’m 10th District’s top salesman

Congressional candidate Lance Sigmon promises to actively assist in garnering grant funding for local agencies. He’ll be the “number one salesman in Congress for my district,” he says.

This is Sigmon’s release from Feb. 21.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Welcome to the HDR’s new political blog.

We hope this venture helps inform readers and complements election coverage from our print edition.

The 2008 election offers many interesting races, beginning of course, with the presidential contest. Here, we’ll focus on the local contests.

We’ll periodically post news stories, press releases from candidates and some occasional commentary. Other features include a calendar, which lists upcoming political events. A section called ‘answers to frequently asked questions’ assists voters with topics such as registration and early voting, among others. Our election maps allow you to find out in what races you’ll be voting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I vote?
Click here to go to the Voter Locator.
Also you could…Type your address and you will be told your Precinct and shown a map of its location.
See also our listing of precincts.

Am I registered to vote?
This takes you to the State Board of Elections web site, and you can click on Check Your Voter Registration Here. You can find out your full information including what party you are affiliated with, precinct you are assigned to, map and driving directions to your polling place, what Congressional, NC House, NC Senate and Judicial districts you are in.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Coffee with Kitty and the gang

The League of Women Voters of Catawba Valley will host its annual ‘Coffee with our Commissioners’ event Saturday at 9 a.m. in the Community Room of the Catawba County Library in Newton. Folks can meet our five commissioners in an informal setting and voice concerns. The commissioners will outline their goals for 2008.
To register to speak or for more information, call Shelby Teague at 328-3297.

By the way, commissioners Barbara Beatty and Dan Hunsucker are up for re-election this year. Other board members include chairwoman Kitty Barnes, Glenn Hunsucker and Lynn Lail.

North Carolina Representative Ray Warren Files for Re-election

N.C. Rep. Ray Warren filed for re-election this week for his 88th District House seat. Warren, a former Alexander County Sheriff, became one of the few Democrats from this area to win election to the General Assembly. Warren defeated Republican incumbent Mark Hollo, a Taylorsville physician’s assistant, in 2006. The contest proved to be one of that year’s closest races. This year’s rematch could be just as competitive.
The 88th District includes all of Alexander County and roughly 90 percent of Hickory.

The following is Warren’s release from Feb. 19.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Commissioners get competition

Phillip Parlier thinks Catawba County is overtaxed with a major illegal immigration problem.
The two issues spurred the Mountain View Republican to file earlier this month as a candidate for the North Carolina Board of Commissioners.
Two seats are open as incumbents Dan Hunsucker and Barbara Beatty seek re-election.

Here is the news story regarding Parlier’s election filing from Feb. 14.