By Miles Layton

In the wake of Harvey West Jr’s resignation as Republican Party Chair for the First Congressional District, a trio of folks are vying to fill that position. 

According to various sources, the candidates for chair are Mary Helen Pelt-Warren, Michele Nix and Kim Cotten-West — well, she changed her mind about; see below. 

The First Congressional District’s Republican Executive Committee is poised to vote to elect a new chair on Saturday in Williamston. However, a prominent source said there’s an effort planned to hold the vote for chair at the District convention in April. Why? Because in terms of Republicans, that’s when Carteret, Craven and Dare counties would officially be able to switch over from the Third Congressional District to the First Congressional District. If the vote were held on Saturday, not only Nix, but Republican voters from those counties would be disenfranchised. Thus, I guess we’ll just wait and see.

Pelt-Warren is presently serving as 1st vice chair for the First Congressional District.  

Nix is the former chair of the Third Congressional District – her county, Carteret, was reassigned to the First Congressional District when the congressional district map was redrawn. Nix ran for election to the U.S. House to represent North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District. She lost in the Republican primary in March of 2020.

Soon after this story was posted on Thursday, the Albemarle Observer received a text — Cotten-West says she has decided not to run for chair. Yes, Cotten-West sent out an email last week, March 13, saying she was a candidate. After all, Cotten-West has worked at all levels for the party, from the precinct level, through the county level, and for the past several years at the state level. And as everyone knows, she is Harvey West’s wife. 

But things change, Cotten-West is not a candidate, so here we are.

And if you haven’t already seen our story about Harvey West — click here. 

Subscribe — it’s free!

In other political news, Chowan County Democratic Party Convention will be held Saturday, March 21, at the Venue on Water Street, 113 W. Water Street. Light refreshments will start at 9:30 a.m. with the convention at 10 a.m. The guest speaker will be Judge Jenny Wells.

Appointed by Governor Josh Stein to serve the First Judicial District as District Court Judge, Wells brings many years of experience as a Public Defender to the bench. Wells’ wisdom, sense of equality and fairness serve the residents of Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank, and Perquimans Counties. 

Wells is filling the vacancy created after Judge Edgar Barnes retired Jan. 1.  Barnes, who had been serving as a judge since 1995, was elected to another four-year term in November, which was set to expire in 2028. Under state law, a special election will be held for the final two years at the next general election, which is in November 2026.

Wells most recently served as an Assistant Public Defender with the Office of the First Judicial District Public Defender. She received her B.A. from Tulane University and her J.D. from Campbell University School of Law.

Next week, the Chowan County GOP Convention will be held on Thursday, March 26, in the Town Council Chambers Overflow Room. Registration starts at 6 p.m. with the convention starting at 6:30 p.m. All registered Republicans of Chowan County are welcome to attend.