SALISBURY — Five days have passed in the 16-day filing period for the 2018 elections.

By Friday evening, 21 candidates had filed for office, including three candidates for Congress.

Filing runs through Feb. 28, with 15 Rowan County positions up for election. Offices include clerk of court, register of deeds, sheriff and district attorney.

Three county commissioner seats will also be on the ballot, along with one state Senate seat, three state House seats, two Kannapolis Board of Education seats and two congressional seats.

U.S. House of Representatives District 8

North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District includes Montgomery, Stanly, Moore, Cabarrus and Hoke counties, and parts of Rowan and Cumberland counties.

Four Democrats have announced plans to run against incumbent Republican Richard Hudson of Concord: Scott Huffman, Frank McNeill, Horace Stainback and Marc Tiegel.

By Friday evening, only McNeill had filed his candidacy.

McNeill is the third-generation owner of McNeill Oil and Propane in Aberdeen. He has served three terms on the Aberdeen City Council, two terms as Aberdeen’s mayor and one on the Moore County school board.

In a news release, McNeill said he will work in Washington to ensure working families have affordable and accessible health care, high-quality public schools, and clean air and water. He also focused on funding the military and supporting both active-duty and veteran service members.

Hudson is serving his third term in Congress. He has served on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, on the subcommittees on energy, environment and health.

“Job creation is my top priority,” Hudson said on his website. “The formula for job creation includes a strong education system that empowers a skilled workforce and a common-sense tax and regulatory environment that gets Washington out of the way.”

U.S. House of Representatives District 13

The 13th Congressional District includes parts of Davidson, Davie, Guilford, Iredell and Rowan counties. As of Friday evening, incumbent Republican Ted Budd was the only candidate to file for the seat.

Budd was raised on a cattle and commercial chicken farm in Davie County. He is now owner of ProShots, a gun range and store.

Budd won his seat in 2016 in his first bid for public office. He serves on the Financial Services Committee.

“North Carolina’s working families are my top priority,” said Budd. “I’m a reformer, and I worked hard on tax reform and regulatory reform. The results speak for themselves. Our economy is growing, your paychecks are increasing, and more people are working thanks to these reforms. We’ve made good progress but must keep moving forward.”

Three announced Democratic opponents — Adam Coker, Kathy Manning and Beniah McMiller — have yet to file for candidacy. 

The primary will be held May 8. The general election is Nov. 6.