SALISBURY — While the November 2022 general election is more than a year away, the race for the Rowan County Board of Commissioners is already taking shape. 

The three seats that will be up for grabs are currently held by Chairman Greg Edds, Vice Chair Jim Greene and Commissioner Judy Klusman. While Greene and Klusman are planning to run for reelection, Edds said he is still undecided. All three incumbents are currently serving their second terms.

Greene said he is planning to seek reelection for a third term because he has unfinished business.

“There are several things that I would like to see done and frankly be a part of helping make that happen,” Greene said.

Among the objectives Greene said he would like to help bring to fruition are the development of West End Plaza for governmental use, the expansion project planned at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and the construction of Woodleaf Community Park.

Greene said he will put the resumé he’s developed during his time on the board at the forefront of his campaign.

“I would expect to let the public know what we have done over the last, by then it will be eight years, but last seven years and let them judge for themselves if they want me back in office or not,” Greene said.

Angie Spillman, a relative newcomer to the Rowan County political scene, and Michael Julian, no stranger to past elections, have already announced their intentions to run.

Spillman was born in Tampa, Florida, but has spent most of her life in Rowan County. She previously served on the Rowan County Nursing Home Advisory Committee. She holds several degrees from Liberty University and is currently working on a doctorate in philosophy and public policy.

Although she is a member of the local Republican Party, this is the first time Spillman is seeking office. It was her oldest son, Vincent, who convinced her to run.

“I have a family full of political people and (Vincent) plays a role in the Republican Party,” Spillman said. “He just came to me and said ‘You know, with this next election cycle, we have an opportunity to make this difference that you’ve been talking about.’ I taught my kids one of the first ways to make a difference is to get out there and do it yourself.”

Spillman recently unveiled her candidacy on social media and jump-started her campaign by riding a hummer covered in campaign signs through the Faith Fourth of July parade. 

“It’s early,” Spillman said. “We’re just starting, but we’re hitting the ground running.”

Spillman has branded herself as a “pro-God, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment and pro-Constitution as it was written” candidate. Although she is still developing the finer points of her campaign platform, Spillman said she wants to make her candidacy about the people she is running to represent.

“At the end of the day, the reason I want to be county commissioner is because I want to make a difference,” Spillman said. “I believe that I can make a good positive difference and I’m going to make it on behalf of the people.”

Spillman’s campaign is being run by her son, who has experience as a field organizer for the North Carolina GOP. The rest of Spillman’s family, including her other five children and her husband, will also be a part of the campaign.

Julian credited his family for inspiring him to run for the Board of Commissioners for a second time.

“My daughters always told me, ‘Daddy, we’re not living in this town,’” said Julian, also a Republican. “I asked them why not and they said there’s nothing here for them. I want to change that. I don’t want to see our bright young people go off to college, and some will always go off to college and not come home, but I want them to come home and have a bright future right here in Rowan County. I want it to be a thriving place to work and play, not just live.”

Julian has long been active in Rowan County politics. He has previously been a member of the Rowan County Transit Board and currently serves on the Planning Board. Julian ran for the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education in 2016 and was narrowly defeated by incumbent Joshua Wagner. In 2018, Julian made an unsuccessful run for the Board Of Commissioners.

While Julian said Rowan County is “getting better all the time,” he still sees room for improvement. In addition to placing an emphasis on developing West End Plaza, Julian said he would like to combine county services to cut taxes and determine a way to support the county’s volunteer fire departments without raising the fire tax.

Along with his day job as shipping manager at Packaging Corporation of America in Spencer, Julian runs his own pool maintenance business in the evenings. He hopes to parlay his experience as a working man into his campaign.

“I’m just a regular individual,” Julian said. “I didn’t come from anything. What I’ve got I’ve built on my own. I understand the working man. I’ve lived in this county my entire life. I’ve raised a family in this county.”

Filing for the Rowan County Board of Commissioners will open on Dec. 6 at noon and end on Dec. 17 at noon. The race is party-driven and the primary election is currently scheduled for March.