Election 2016: Who's In, Who's Out, And What's Trending

The filing period for candidates to officially declare their candidacy in North Carolina ended on Monday, giving voters a clearer picture of the political landscape for the 2016 election.

WFDD's Paul Garber has been analyzing the filings, and shared some of his thoughts about who's in, who's out, and some of the big themes we'll likely see next year.

Interview Highlights

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr is facing a packed primary, with two Republicans challenging him and three Democrats fighting for their party's nomination. Garber says this should be a particularly interesting primary, and that it showcases what is likely to be a common theme for GOP candidates:

“A lot of these folks are coming in and making the case that they are more conservative than the Republican incumbent, and that's a theme you're going to hear over and over, I think, this cycle.”

Garber says U.S. Rep. Mark Walker is facing a similar primary challenge in the 6th Congressional District from Chris Hardin, while Bruce Davis and Jim Roberts spar for the Democratic nomination.

Meanwhile, several Triad-area names are popping up on ballots for statewide office. 

Garber highlights two: longtime Forsyth prosecutor, Republican Jim O'Neill, is running for the state attorney general against N.C. Sen. Buck Newton. And longtime public servant, Republican Dale Folwell, will face either Dan Blue III or Ron Elmer – both Democrats – for the state treasurer job.

Garber also says Davidson County politics are set for a change:

“Stan Bingham was an eight-term state senator who decided not to run again. Also, Rayne Brown is a representative who has served since 2010 also decided not to run again. So, no matter what happens in the primary or the general election, the face of Davidson County politics is going to look a lot different.”

While stiff competition is expected in a number of races – including the race for governor between incumbent Republican Pat McCrory and expected Democratic nominee Roy Cooper – that's not the case for many offices.

Nearly a third of the legislators in the N.C. General Assembly have no competition at all, meaning they've essentially already won.

While Garber says this isn't unusual in the state's recent history, it does speak to how the redistricting process shapes the legislature.

“Districts are drawn in a way that essentially once you have that primary [candidate] chosen…that it's essentially a cake-walk come the general election. So you don't get a lot of people from opposing parties coming in, because they look at the numbers and they think they don't have a chance.”

North Carolina's primary elections take place in March.