Share on Facebook Clayton - The filing period for candidacy in the November 3rd council election ends at noon on Friday, July 17th. Three incumbents whose seats are up for election each say they'll seek another term, and two challengers have already announced their intentions to run. Councilmen Bob Ahlert, Michael Grannis and Bob Satterfield say they plan to file for re-election. The Rev. Russell Cotten, an associate pastor at Mount Vernon Christian Church in downtown Clayton, and Art Holder, a Glen Laurel resident who lost in December by a random tiebreaker, also say they will run.

Cotten stated he was running to ensure that Clayton’s minorities have a voice at the policy-making level of the town government: “We don’t have any representation,” said Cotten, an African-American who lives on Clayton’s north side. According to demographic estimates that the town presented last month in support of a bond-rating upgrade, roughly 30 percent of Clayton’s residents are either African-American or Hispanic. The current council consists entirely of white men. Ahlert and Satterfield both have served on the council since 1997. In January, Ahlert’s fellow council members and Mayor Jody McLeod appointed him to his second two-year term as the council’s mayor pro tem.

To enter the council race, a person must reside within Clayton town limits and be at least 21 years old and a registered voter. The person must also have no felony convictions. A council hopeful must complete a notice of candidacy form during the filing period at the Johnston County Board of Elections Office at 205 S. Second St. in Smithfield, one block south of the Johnston County Courthouse. A $5 filing fee also is required. A person does not need to affiliate with a political party to run for a council seat. Council election results are determined using the nonpartisan plurality method, meaning the highest vote getters win the seats.

Municipal elections normally are held in odd-numbered years. The last regular Clayton municipal election was in November 2007, when a tight council race and ballot mix-ups at two voting locations resulted in a lengthy court battle and, eventually, a second "do-over" election last December. Councilman Alex Harding won re-election in the revote, beating Holder in a random tiebreaker conducted by county Board of Elections officials. Butch Lawter won the second seat up for election. For more information about filing for the council race, contact the Johnston County Board of Elections at 989-5095.