ROWAN COUNTY — The early voting period for the second Republican primary to decide the nominee for lieutenant governor and the state’s auditor begins on Thursday.

A couple of other races from the state required a second primary to officially declare a nominee, but in Rowan County, the only two remaining primaries are to vote between Hal Weatherman and Jim O’Neill for the lieutenant governor Republican nomination and between Jack Clark and Dave Boliek for the auditor Republican nomination. 

For this second Republican primary, there are restrictions on who can cast a ballot. 

Voters who are registered Republican can vote. Unaffiliated registrants that cast a Republican ballot in the March 5 primary are eligible to vote again. Those unaffiliated registrants who did not vote in the first primary will be given the opportunity to vote in the second Republican primary. 

Any unaffiliated voter that cast a ballot for a non-Republican candidate during the primary is ineligible to vote this time around. 

Rowan County Elections Director Sharon Main said that new voter registrations in the county are not permitted between the dates of the first and second primaries. 

The only exception that allows for new registration on the date of the second primary is when a person becomes eligible to vote between the first and second primaries. That includes voters who: became a new county resident between Feb. 5, 2024, and April 14, 2024;  or were naturalized as a U.S. citizen after March 5, 2024; or completed a felony sentence after March 5, 2024. 

Voters that fit into one of these categories can only vote on Election Day and will need to vote a provisional ballot. Election Day is May 14.

Early voting will be available at the Rowan County Board of Elections Office, located at 1935 Jake Alexander Blvd. W, Salisbury. The site will be open for early voting from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 25, 26, 29 and 30. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. On Saturday, May 11, the last day for early voting, the office will be open from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

 

Who is running?

Jim O’Neill: O’Neill is currently serving his fourth term as Forsyth County district attorney. Before becoming district attorney, O’Neill served as an assistant district attorney in Forsyth County. 

If elected to lieutenant governor, O’Neill said that he will be tough on crime, will require local law enforcement protection at private and faith-based schools and will establish a panel of public and private mental health experts along with law enforcement officials to create a list of legislative remedies for the General Assembly.

To learn more about Jim O’Neill, go to https://www.oneill4nc.com/.

 

Hal Weatherman: Weatherman is an N.C. native. He founded the Electoral Education Foundation, and served as chief of staff to former N.C. Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and former U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick. 

According to his website, Weatherman said that he is running because he is “tired of money-driven campaigns and candidates who only appeal to the fears and anxieties of our people, rather than their hopes and aspirations.”

His website says that he supports “Donald J. Trump, building the wall and deporting illegals.”

To learn more about Weatherman, go to https://www.halweathermanfornc.com/.

 

For state auditor

Dave Boliek: Boliek describes himself as a budget hawk. Boliek points to his small business ownership for affording him unique insight other candidates do not have. According to his website, when he was chairman of the UNC Board of Trustees, he helped create the university’s first audit committee, balanced the budget and eliminated the university’s operating deficit.

Boliek is a Christian who serves as an elder in his church. He is also an Eagle Scout and youth sports coach. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earth a law degree and masters in business administration from Campbell. 

After law school, Boliek worked helping to manage military family housing, logistics and service contracts on military bases across the country. In late 1998, he was an assistant district attorney in Cumberland County. In the late fall of 2001, Dave left the district attorney’s office for private practice.

To learn more about Boliek, go to https://auditordave.com/.

 

Jack Clark: Clark has an economics degree from Duke University and a master’s of accounting in the audit track from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

According to his website, After obtaining his masters, Clark worked as an external auditor for Grant Thornton, working with multibillion dollar corporations and small startups alike.

Clark then transitioned into an internal audit role for a large, multinational company, where he helped prepare the company for SOX readiness. ​

Clark now works on budget policy in the General Assembly and said that he felt God was calling him to public service. To learn more about Clark, go to https://www.jackclarknc.com.