Special elections to fill the 3rd Congressional District seat left vacant after Congressman Walter Jones Jr. died earlier this month are set to begin this spring.
Primary elections will take place on April 30.
The general election is set for July 9, unless there's a primary runoff. If that happens, the runoff elections will take place in July and the general election will occur on Sept. 10.
The weeklong candidate filing period with the State Board of Elections begins on Monday.
These Republicans have thrown their hats into the ring:
- State Rep. Michael Speciale (New Bern)
- State Rep. Greg Murphy (Greenville)
- State Rep. Phil Shepard (Jacksonville)
- Phil Law (came in second in last year's three-way primary against Jones)
- Jeff Moore (editor-in-chief of First in Freedom Daily, a conservative blog)
- Michele Nix (vice-chairman of the North Carolina GOP)
- Sandy Smith (a political newcomer from Winterville)
- Gary Ceres (a political newcomer from Greenville)
These Democrats have publicly announced or indicated plans to run:
- Ollie Nelson (a Marine veteran from Jacksonville)
- Richard Bew (a Marine veteran from Newport)
- George Parrott (ran and lost against Congressman Walter Jones in 1996)
- Daryl Farrow (political newcomer from Trenton)
- Dana Outlaw (Mayor of New Bern)
These Libertarian candidates have entered the race:
- Shannon Bray (a veteran who lives outside the district)
- Tim Harris (a 2018 candidate for state senate District 2)
The state's 3rd Congressional District comprises 17 coastal plain counties, including all of Onslow, Jones, Lenoir, Greene, Craven, Pamlico, Carteret, Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell, Dare, Chowan, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck Counties and the southern half of Pitt County.