CHAPEL HILL – Thursday we’ll know who our next state representative will be.

When former State Senator Ellie Kinnaird resigned in August, it set in motion a chain of events that has led up to filling the now vacant North Carolina District 50 House of Representatives seat.

Someone will be chosen from a field of seven candidates to fill the position vacated by Valerie Foushee, which represents parts of Orange and Durham Counties.

In September, Foushee was appointed to the Senate District 23 seat, which was formerly held by Kinnaird, who resigned after 9 terms.  Kinnaird said that her time could be better spent outside the legislature lobbying for issues she feels strongly about, such as voter registration.

Five Orange County residents announced their intention to seek the House: Tommy McNeill; Chapel Hill Town Council member Laurin Easthom, who is not running for re-election to the Council; attorney Drew Nelson; Orange County Commissioner  Bernadette Pelissier; and Graig Meyer, Director of Student Equity and Volunteer Services for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools System.

Two residents from Durham County are up for consideration: Travis Phelps, Foushee’s primary opponent from the House race last year; and Danielle Adams, a soil and water conservation supervisor.

Adams is currently seeking the North Carolina 6th Congressional District nomination as well.

A selection committee made up of four Democratic officials is charged with nominating the new House Representative on Thursday, Oct. 24, at the Orange County Public Library at 7:00 p.m.

WCHL’s Elizabeth Friend will be there to speak with our newly-named Representative.

You can tune into the WCHL Friday Morning News for a full recap.

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