HD50 vacancy next

The 50th House District Democratic Executive Committee will be meeting in the next few weeks to nominate a replacement for Valerie Foushee who has been appointed to the State Senate. The committee will have two members each appointed by Orange and Durham Counties. Voting is weighted by population as follows: Durham 94 Orange 204, with each member casting half their county's vote. In Orange, Graig Meyer, elected to the district executive committee spot by the Orange County Democratic Convention in 2012 has resigned to seek the vacant seat itself. The Orange County Democratic Executive Committee will meet October 1 to appoint a replacement district committee member, with members from each of the 15 Orange County Precincts in House District 50 voting (though Carr Precinct did not organize at the most recent precinct meeting so as of now has no representation). It's not unusual for there to be district executive committee vacancies to fill vacant legislative seats, and in some places the election of the replacement district executive committee member turns out to be a mini campaign by persons wanting to be appointed to the vacant legislative seat

For those keeping score, we've got about five announced or soon to be announced candidates for the HD50 vacancy. Two of them currently hold elective office. If Chapel Hill Town Council member Laurin Easthom is appointed, the remaining members of Council will fill her vacancy until term expiration at the first December regular meeting of council on 12/2/2013.  If County Commissioner Bernadette Pelissier is appointed, the full Orange County Democratic Executive Committee will make recommendation(s) to the remaining six commissioners, but the commissioners are not bound by the recommendations, but they must appoint a registered Democrat, The appointee will serve until 12/1/2014. In the 2014 general election someone will be elected to serve the last two years of the term in the normal process. The commissioners have 60 days from the day of the vacancy to act, if they deadlock or fail to appoint, then Clerk of Court Jamie Stanford will choose the replacement (not too farfetched, when Ira Ward resigned as commissioner in June of 1973 the county executive committee sent four names forward, Henry Latane, Jan Pinney, me, and a fourth person I can't remember. The commissioners deadlocked for two months. I recall that Jan Pinney and I each got two commissioner votes, and after 60 day of deadlock Clerk of Court Frank Frederick appointed Melvin Whitfield.)

http://orangedems.com/node/861

We will be meeting at Southern Human Services on October 1, 2013 at 7pm, registration at 6:30pm. Southern Human Services is located at 2501 Homestead Road in Chapel Hill (Homestead is located off of MLK Blvd).One important detail regarding the meeting will be filling the vacancy caused by Graig Meyer's resignation from the 50th House District Executive Committee to put his name into consideration for Valerie Foushee's soon to be vacated House seat. I have asked Dave Gephart to put his name into consideration for Graig's seat on this important committee. Dave has been a county party vice chair, precinct chair, and presently serves as secretary of the 6th Congressional District. He's a business owner in the county; attended UNC Chapel Hill; and is known for being fair and a team player.Only CEC members from precincts located within the 50th House District (White Cross, Orange Grove, Cheeks, Efland, Cedar Grove, Tolars, Caldwell, Carr, Eno, St. Marys, Patterson, Weaver Dairy, Weaver Dairy Satellite, Cedar Falls, Booker Creek and Eastside) are eligible to vote for this committee replacement. The seat will be filled according to the rules established in the NCDP's Plan of Organization, including a weighted vote by precinct and will not be conducted via secret ballot. Additional nominations will be accepted from the floor of this meeting.If you need additional information, please contact Chair Matt Hughes at matt.hughes@orangedems.com.