Sylva mayor to face re-election challenger

Sylva Mayor Lynda Sossamon will have competition in her bid for re-election this year with former town commissioner Danny Allen filing to run against her July 17.

Allen, Sossamon and sitting Commissioner Barbara Hamilton had all competed for the mayor’s position during the 2015 town elections, with Sossamon edging Allen by just three votes to win with 97 votes. Hamilton had come in slightly behind with 86 votes.

This time around, Hamilton will run for re-election to a four-year term as commissioner rather than vying for the mayor’s seat, which is a two-year term. Incumbent commissioner Mary Gelbaugh will also run for re-election. Nobody has yet signed up to run against Hamilton or Gelbaugh.

Dillsboro

In Dillsboro, six people have signed up to run for five alderman’s seats. They include incumbents Beaufort Riddle, David Gates, Tim Parris and David Jones, as well as contenders John Chinners and James Cochran. Incumbent Jim Cabe has not yet filed for re-election; nor has Mayor Mike Fitzgerald.

Forest Hills

In Forest Hills, incumbent Clark Corwin has filed for re-election as councilmember, with Jerry Rice also signing up as a contender. Councilmember Carl Hooper’s and Mayor Kolleen Begley’s seats are also up for election; though Begley told The Smoky Mountain News she intends to run again, neither had signed up as of press time.

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Webster

Four seats are up for election in Webster — three councilmembers and the mayor — but so far nobody has signed up for any of them. However, incumbent mayor Tracy Rhodes had previously told The Smoky Mountain News that she intends to run again.

Maggie Valley

A few more candidates have signed up to run in Haywood County’s municipal races this year.

Maggie Valley Alderman Mike Eveland has signed up to run for a second term and Jasay Ketchum has also signed up to run for alderman. Ketchum ran for mayor of Maggie Valley two years ago but was defeated by Saralyn Price, who ran a write-in campaign after the unexpected death of Mayor Ron DeSimone.

Alderman Clayton Davis, who was appointed by the town board to fill the remainder of Price’s alderman term when she was elected mayor, told The Smoky Mountain News he wasn’t sure whether he would run for the seat. As of press time Tuesday, he had not signed up.

Clyde

In Clyde, Incumbents James Trantham and Frank Lay have signed up to run for another term in their aldermen seats, but so far have no challengers.

Canton

So far Canton Mayoral candidate Zeb Smathers doesn’t have a challenger and three new candidates will vie for two open seats on the board. Kristina Smith, William Holland and Carl Cortright have all signed up to run, but Alderman incumbent Carole Edwards has not indicated whether she will run for re-election.

Bryson City

Two aldermen seats are up for re-election this year in Bryson City. Both incumbents Rick Bryson and Janine Crisp confirmed they would be running for another term, but only Crisp has signed up so far.

Bryson and Crisp are both finishing up their first, four-year terms on the board.

Only one challenger has signed up to run for alderman — Lisa Anthony Weeks.

While voter turnout for municipal elections in Bryson City is typically low, the town board of aldermen recently approved spending more than $3,000 to offer early voting days prior to the Nov. 7 election.

Franklin

In Franklin, terms are up for councilmembers Barbara McRae, Billy Mashburn and Patti Abel and Mayor Bob Scott.

Abel has said she will not be running again. McRae, who was still undecided last week, signed up Monday to run for a second term. Mashburn, who has served on the town board for more than 20 years, has not signed up to run for re-election.

Scott has signed up to seek a third term as mayor. Even though Franklin council members serve four-year terms, the mayor only serves two-year terms. So far, he is unopposed just like he was during the last election.

Two challengers for aldermen seats have signed up to run though — David Culpepper, owner of Culpepper’s Otto Depot and a regular at town board meetings, and Jimbo Ledford, owner of Jimbo’s Plumbing in Franklin.

Highlands

Highlands Mayor Patrick Taylor has also signed up to run again and so has Highlands Commissioner incumbent Amy Patterson. Commissioner Donnie Calloway is also up for re-election but hasn’t signed up to run yet.

— Staff reports