The NC Supreme Court may have shut down the candidate filing period for the 2022 election for now but they can’t stop candidates from announcing their plans to run.
On Thursday, Dec. 16, Guilford County Board of Education Member Pat Tillman told the Rhino Times that he would be seeking the Guilford County District 3 Board of Commissioners seat in the 2022 election.
Tillman, who was first elected as the school board’s District 3 representative in 2016 and reelected in 2020 said he’s very familiar with the district and its concerns after serving on the school board for years.
“I know the community; I know the parents – and I’ve been working to solve problems in the district,” he said, adding that he thinks that experience will help him be an effective county commissioner.
Tillman said he always tries to be fair on the issues.
“I call balls and strikes as I see them,” he said.
Tillman added that he would not be running if Republican District 3 Commissioner Justin Conrad had decided to seek another term.
“I wouldn’t have run against an incumbent who has represented the constituents so well,” he said, adding that Conrad was a “quality person.”
Conrad announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection to the seat. Interestingly, Conrad stated to the Rhino Times this week that, now that the candidate filing period was being put off till next year, perhaps he would run again for the District 3 seat after all. Conrad was likely joking when he said that – but people do sometimes change their minds when given time to think about things.
Democrat Derek Mobley and Republicans George McClellan and Dan Suter filed to run in the District 3 commissioners race before the filing period was shut down.
Tillman, a senior director of Business Development for THS Creative, serves on several local boards including his church’s Christian Education Committee.
He served as a combat Marine with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force in Iraq and was a staff non-commissioned officer in the Marines at various times as platoon sergeant, platoon commander, instructor/trainer and long-range military planning liaison.
Calling balls and strikes isn’t nearly as important as having the balls to stand up on important issues. Can we count on that? From our current board, weve already seen it doesn’t matter what ones party affiliation is, that is just a cloak to get votes. We have democrats that are strict Skippertarians, a democrat who swapped sides a year into his term, and Republicans who vote with democrats.
All we really ask for is a candidate that will stick by their oath to vote the will of their constituents. If this is the guy, great!
Pat would be a great commissioner. George McClellan is a RINO politician and wants to be liked by everyone – Can not be trusted.