Commissioner’s Races Heat Up
Filing for the March 5 2024 primary elections opened Monday, December 4, 2024 at 12 noon and closed at 12 noon on Friday, December 15.
The following candidates have filed for the seats as noted:
District 1 Seat
Residency District 1 encompasses the Currituck Outer Banks, Knotts Island and Gibbs Woodson. Commissioner Bob White (R – Corolla) who currently holds this seat announced that he will not seek re-election this year.
Ronda Lea Galko (R) of Carova Beach filed on Monday December 4, 2023 – the first day of filing. Galko is a real estate agent with Howard Hannah, licensed in both, North Carolina and Virginia. She will appear on the Republican primary ballot as “Ronda Galko”. This is Galko’s first run for County Commissioner / elected office in Currituck County.
Paul Anthony “Tony” Angell (R) of Knotts Island filed on Decmber 8, 2023. Angell is a Marine Corp Veteran. He will appear on the Republican primary ballot as “Tony Angell”. This is Angell’s first run for County Commissioner / elected office in Currituck County.
District 2 Seat
Residency District 2 encompasses the southern end of the Currituck County mainland from Uncle Graham Rd to Point Harbor. The seat is currently held by Selina Jarvis (R) of Harbinger.
Incumbent Selina Sells Jarvis (R) of Harbinger filed for re-election to the District 2 seat on Monday, December 4, 2023. Jarvis is a retired teacher with Currituck County Schools. Jarvis will appear on the Republican Primary Ballot as “Selina S. Jarvis”.
Jarvis will be seeking re-election to her second full term. Jarvis was appointed to fill the unexpired term of former Commissioner Bobby O. Hanig, after Hanig won election to the NC House District 6 seat in the November 2018 General Election. Jarvis served the remaining two years of Hanig’s original term. She faced a primary challenge by Steven Craddock of Grandy in the March 2020 Republican Party Primary. Jarvis defeated Craddock and ran unopposed in the November 2020 General Election.
Curtis Shay Ballance (R) of Jarvisburg filed as a candidate for the District 2 seat on Monday, December 4, 2023. Ballance is Broker/Owner at Ballance Real Estate, LLC. Ballance will appear on the Republican Primary Ballot as “C. Shay Ballance”. This is Ballance’s first run for County Commissioner / elected office.
District 4 Seat
Residency District 4 encompasses the northern mid-section of the Currituck County mainland from Maple Road, north to New Bridge Creek/Beechwood Shores in Moyock and west to include Shawboro. Commissioner Paul Beaumont (R – Shawboro) who currently holds this seat announced that he will not seek re-election this year, announcing that he will seek the At Large School Board seat currently held by Jason Banks of Churches Island.
Kenneth Bryan Bass (R) of Moyock filed as a candidate for the District 4 seat on Monday, December 4, 2023. Bass lists his occupation as “Self Employed Corporate Tax Analyst”. Bass will appear on the Republican Primary Ballot as “Bryan Bass”. This is Bass’ first run for County Commissioner / elected office.
Janet Williams Rose (R) of Moyock filed as a candidate for the District 4 seat on Friday, December 15, 2023. She is retired from Currituck County Schools, and currently a real estate agent with Howard Hannah in Moyock. Rose will appear on the Republican Primary Ballot as “Janet Williams Rose”. This is Roses first run for County Commissioner.
Rose, currently holds the Crawford Township seat on the Currituck County Board of Education, having won re-election to a four year term in the November 2022 election.
At Large Seat 2
The At Large Seat encompasses the entire county. Commissioner Mary “Kitty” Etheridge (R – Shawboro) who currently holds this seat announced that she will not seek re-election this year.
Michael Dennis Hall (R) of Moyock filed as a candidate for the At Large seat on Friday, December 15, 2023. Hall is a retired Norfolk Police Detective. Hall will appear on the Republican Primary Ballot as “Mike Hall”. This will be Hall’s second run for the county board of commissioners. Hall is a former Commissioner having held the At Large seat. He was elected in the 2014 general election, after defeating incumbent commissioner Paul Martin (R) of Currituck in the 2014 Republican Primary. Hall served a single 4 year term and was narrowly defeated by current Commissioner Kevin McCord (R) of Moyock in the 2018 Republican Primary.
Stuart Paul O’Neal (R) of Churches Island filed as a candidate for the At Large seat on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. O’Neal is currently employed by Towne Insurance. O’Neal will appear on the Republican Primary Ballot as “Paul O’Neal”.
This will be O’Neal’s third run for a county Commissioners seat. O’Neal first won election to the Board of Commissioners in 1994 as the first Republican elected to the Board in Currituck County History. O’Neal served as the Poplar Branch Township Commissioner from December 1994 to December of 2006. O’Neal was defeated by Democrat Barry C. Nelms in the November 2006 General ELection. For the 2008 election cycle, the Currituck County Board of Commissioners was expanded from a 5 member board – with one At Large seat and 4 residency district/township seats, to a 7 member board, with two At Large seats and 5 residency district seats. O’Neal ran for re-election to the Board defeating Stanley Griggs (D) of Poplar Branch in the November 2008 General ELection. O’Neal then served two terms – 2008 to 2012; and 2012 to 2016. Prior to the 2016 Republican Primary filing period, O’Neal announced that he would not seek re-election, chosing to step down.
In late 2022, O’Neal was appointed to fill the unexpired term of NC House District 6 representative Bobby O Hanig, after Hanig was elected to the NC Senate seat. O’Neal served to the end of the 2022 House Session which occurred in the early days of January 2023.
