Former Southern Pines Police Chief Gerald Gallo-way will join Manila "Bud" Shaver on the November ballot as an unaffiliated candidate. Galloway officially reached the required number of signatures on petitions Tuesday morning, according to county Elections Director Glenda Clendenin. As of midday, the Board of Elections had verified 2,285 signatures, she said.
Under state law, a voter who wants to run as an unaffiliated candidate must get the signatures of 4 percent of registered voters, which is 2,040 in Moore County
Boylan defeated state Rep. Richard Morgan in a heated GOP primary in May. No Democrat filed during the filing period.
"I am elated by the remarkable response we've received," Galloway said. "What I am hearing is that people are fed up with extreme party politics over people. They want people first. They want someone who will listen and represent them, not extreme party politics. I am putting together a campaign that includes all three political parties that deals with mainstream issues."
Galloway is registered as unaffiliated, though he was a longtime Democrat. He switched to unaffiliated four years ago to vote in a Republican primary and then changed back. He switched to unaffiliated a week before launching his petition drive earlier this month.
Shaver, a Republican and retired Army general living in Seven Lakes, mounted his campaign in reaction to the state GOP's backing of Boylan in his primary battle with Morgan.
Contact David Sinclair at dsinclair@thepilot.com.
