RALEIGH — Several current elected officials in North Carolina have decided to try to move up the political ladder in 2020.
The second of three weeks of candidate filing concluded on Friday.
At least a dozen people have now officially filed to run for lieutenant governor, including state Democratic Reps. Chaz Beasley and Yvonne Holley, Democratic Sen. Terry Van Duyn and Republican Sen. Andy Wells. Former GOP legislator Scott Stone and ex-U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers are also on that list. Current Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest is already running for governor.
Current Charlotte City Council member Dimple Ajmera is running for the Democratic nomination for state treasurer and state Rep. Craig Horn is running for state schools superintendent. Five Democrats are now seeking the superintendent’s job. Current schools chief Mark Johnson has said he’ll also be running for lieutenant governor.
In the General Assembly, first-term Rep. Lisa Stone Barnes of Nash County is running for the state Senate seat being vacated by Rick Horner.
Looking at other top 2020 races, five Democrats have filed to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis. And the state’s official political parties have offered over 30 candidate names for president.
Ajmera, Beasley, Horn and Stone are not the only Chalrotte-area politicians seeking (or trying to hang on to) higher office. Mecklenburg County Commissioner Trevor Fuller is running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat and Gaston County Commissioner Chad Brown is running for N.C. secretary of state as a Republican. Plus, Democrat Alma Adams of Charlotte and Republicans Dan Bishop of Charlotte, Richard Hudson of Concord and Patrick McHenry of Gastonia have all filed or reelection to their U.S. House seats.
Here's a full list of all N.C. candidate filings for 2020.
Candidate filing ends Dec. 20. Primary races are March 3.
