Another candidate: Harrington says yes

There is now a second candidate for the three seats up for election this fall. Near the end of Tuesday night’s town board meeting, first-term Commissioner Greg Harrington announced he would run again. “I do enjoy it [being a commissioner]and I do intend to run for re-election this year.”

Early in May Wake Forest realtor Brian Pate announced his intent to run for election and in the same week Commissioner Zachary Donahue said in an email that he would not run for a second term.

That leaves Commissioner Anne Reeve, who said in May that she was considering whether to run for a third term. She led the voting when she won a second term in 2011. She could not be reached Wednesday because she is on a trip to visit family and friends in California. Her husband, Mike Reeve, said she will probably make the announcement yea or nay late next week after her return.

Harrington retired as the town police chief in 2009. Since then he has been active in a number of town organizations, including the Wake Forest Purple Heart Dinner, the North Carolina Purple Heart Association and the Wake Forest Fourth of July (Uncle Sam at least two years). He and his wife are usually seen at all town-sponsored functions and other events in town.

There is still time for other candidates to emerge. The short filing period begins at 8:30 a.m. Monday, July 6, and ends at noon Friday, July 17.

The nonpartisan elections for town commissioners and the mayor are held on a two-year staggered schedule with three seats up for election in odd-numbered years. The filing fee for town commissioner candidates is $15. Each commissioner and the mayor serve four-year terms. Wake Forest commissioners are paid $515.85 each month, or $6,190 annually.

Because there are no districts, the three candidates with the most votes are elected.

The election on Nov. 3 will be conducted by the Wake County Board of Elections. If you want to make sure you can vote in this important election for the town – all town elections are important – make sure you are registered to vote. If you are not registered, you may do so easily online at www.wakegov.com, or at any library, the Wake County Board of Elections office in Raleigh, any public high school or college admissions office, and at any state Department of Motor Vehicles office, any department of social services or public health, vocational rehabilitation office, services for the blind and the deaf and hard of hearing, mental health, and the Employment Security Commission.