The Alamance County GOP executive committee — made up of 44 party officers, elected officials and members — will vote on a candidate to fill ex-county commissioner Amy Galey’s vacant seat on the Alamance County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 21.
Galey’s win of the North Carolina State Senate District 24 race in the 2020 election means she will no longer serve on Alamance County’s Board of Commissioners. Galey assumed office as a state senator on Jan. 1. Her term runs until December 31, 2022.
Ben York, the Chairman of the Alamance County GOP, said seven candidates have publicly announced their run to fill the vacant seat. Candidates include Craig Turner, first vice chair of the Alamance GOP; Robert Turner, co-owner of the Ace Speedway; Blake Williams, a member of Alamance Community College’s Board of Trustees; Paul Williams, a retired Alamance County EMT; Michael Trollinger, a council member for Green Level; Henry Vines, a farmer from Snow Camp; and Chuck Marsh, owner of the Maverick Radio Station.
York said it’s important to find a candidate to fill Galey’s vacant seat on the board of commissioners and finish the remaining two years of her term.
“It’s a five-member board and you have a vacancy,” York said. “You need to be able to fill that vacancy so the board can operate at their full capacity.”
Under North Carolina state law, a vacant seat on a board of county commissioners is to be filled by the appointment of a person who belongs to the same political party as the member being replaced. Galey’s membership of the Alamance County GOP means the executive committee of the Alamance County GOP will vote on a candidate to fill her seat.
When the Alamance County GOP executive committee meets on Jan. 21, they will open the floor for nominations of candidates to fill Galey’s vacant seat. According to York, each candidate must be formally nominated by the Alamance County GOP executive committee at the virtual meeting. Candidates will then give a speech about why they are running and what they hope to accomplish if chosen to fill the vacant seat.
Following candidate speeches, the Alamance County GOP executive committee will vote on a candidate to fill the vacant county commissioner seat with one candidate to be formally appointed that night to fill Galey’s vacant seat. A simple majority vote is needed among executive committee members to decide who fills the vacant seat, according to York.
Pamela Thompson, a current Alamance County Commissioner, said she and other county commissioners are looking for a candidate who values honesty and integrity.
“I’m looking for someone that’s very approachable and someone who listens to everybody,” Thompson said. “[Someone who] doesn’t make up their mind until they’ve heard all sides of the story and they’re very loyal to the citizens of this county.”
The Alamance County GOP executive committee meeting on Jan. 21 will be held virtually on Zoom at 7 p.m. and is open to both the public and the press.