Dec. 4. By Dave Yochum. Four-term Town Commissioner Melinda Bales will run for mayor of Huntersville next year, while incumbents Woody Washam and Rusty Knox, the mayors of Cornelius and Davidson respectively, will seek re-election in November of 2021.

Bales was first elected to the Huntersville Town Board in 2011. Bales, who was selected by her colleagues to serve as mayor pro-tem, could not be reached for comment.

BALES

Mayor John Aneralla, who will finish out his second term as mayor of Huntersville next year, does not plan to run again.

Bales worked as a trainer and quality manager for a Fortune 50 company. Upon relocating to North Carolina, she stayed home to raise and care for her two boys. Locally, Bales spent six years of her career as the Women’s Ministry lay director at Christ Community Church.

She reached out to peers in local governments to let them know of her plans.

Filing is 7 months away

Other candidates are likely to step forward as well. Candidate filing doesn’t open until noon on Friday, July 2, 2021, but those who announce early can get a jump on possible contenders—and campaign donations—by declaring their candidacy early.

Cornelius Mayor Woody Washam is expected to soon announce he will seek re-election. He was first elected mayor in November, 2017, having previously as town commissioner and mayor pro tem from 2013.

In Davidson Mayor Rusty Knox will run again. “I love doing this,” Knox said.

KNOX

WASHAM

Both Knox and Washam are North Meck natives.