For months, former County Commissioners Chairman Jim Sides fueled speculation about a bid for public office in 2016. Now, Sides might have his eyes set on another election year.

Sides’ van, with its well-known decals stating his name and “a true conservative,” for months included “2016?” After being ousted in the 2014 election, the addition of “2016?” implied he might be interested in running for his former spot on the Rowan County Board of Commissioners.

He ended up not filing for office, and declined to comment when asked about the matter after December’s filing period.

Now, Sides’ van pushes the speculation forward another two years. His decals now contain “2018?”

Perhaps it’s just a tease. It could be a serious statement. Either way, Sides could still run for office in 2016 if he decides to run as an unaffiliated candidate. By doing that, he would bypass the Republican primary and move straight to the general election.

In the 2016 Rowan County Commissioners’ race, Republicans Mike Caskey, Craig Pierce and Johnny Love will face off in the March 15 primary. Two of the three will advance to the general election, where they’ll face Democrat Veleria Levy and Libertarian Mark Lyerly.

Senate candidate criticizes Democratic endorsement

Political parties usually wait to endorse one of their own until after primary elections, but Democrats this week picked their choice in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign committee endorsed former state Rep. Deborah Ross on Thursday. Even with the endorsement, she’ll still need to beat two other Democrats before advancing to the general election, where she’s expected to face incumbent Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C. Burr will face three members of his party in the March 15 primary election.

In a statement, the DSCC said Ross was one of the most effective legislators during her time in the state legislature.

Fellow Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Griffin, however, wasn’t happy about the endorsement. Griffin, who was campaigning in Salisbury this week, criticized the DSCC’s decision and said Ross doesn’t represent a majority of North Carolinians. He said Ross is part of the North Carolina elite rather than an average citizen.

“It is unfortunate that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has chosen to undermine the will of North Carolina Democratic Primary voters and make an endorsement in this race for the U.S. Senate,” Griffin said in a statement. “In this state, and all across the country, people are fed up with Washington’s brand of politics as usual. From the very beginning, this campaign has spoken out on issues that generally make the establishment cringe, such as the need for term limits and an added emphasis on transparency.”

McCrory uses dog for NFC Championship wager

Gov. Pat McCrory this week is bringing his dog “Moe” into a wager with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey.

The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals play each other in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game. The losing dog must wear the jersey of the winning team.

McCrory’s dog is a labrador retriever mix. Ducey’s dog is a golden retriever.

“I am confident that our Carolina Panthers are going to be victorious on Sunday, so that our beloved rescue dog Moe doesn’t have to suffer wearing a Cardinals jersey,” Governor McCrory said. “May the top dog win. But the first dog of Arizona, Woody, will look great in a Panthers jersey after the game.”

Hudson criticizes Senate vote

The U.S. Senate this week couldn’t muster enough votes to approve discussion on a Syrian refugee bill authored by a local congressman.

The Senate needed 60 votes to advance the bill. Mostly along party lines, the Senate voted 55 to 43 to advance the bill. It fell just short of the required number.

Rep. Richard Hudson, R-8, authored the original version of the Syrian refugee bill, which aimed to increase vetting standards and put a temporarily pause on immigrants. In a statement, Hudson said he was disappointed by the vote.

“Americans are anxious about the administration’s ability to properly vet thousands of refugees from Syria and Iraq – and rightfully so,” Hudson said. “I’m disappointed Senate Democrats have ignored these concerns and the glaring vulnerabilities – pointed out by President Obama’s own security experts – and have chosen to politicize our national security. The bottom line is Republicans and Democrats came together in the House in a veto-proof majority to protect our national security, but Senate Democrats won’t even entertain a serious debate. I’ll continue to work to address this problem to help keep terrorists out and the American people safe.”

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.