On the first day of candidate filing for the 2010 election, some familiar names have already signed on.

Incumbents Verla Insko and Bill Faison are running to keep their seats in the N.C. State House of Representatives. State Senator Ellie Kinnaird has announced she will run again this year, but she has yet to file with the Board of Elections.

Also up for grabs this fall is the job of Sheriff, which has been held by Lindy Pendergrass since 1982. Challenger Clarence Birkhead, chief of the Hillsborough Police Department, has filed to run in the Democratic primary this May.

In the county commissioner’s race, Orange county is in the process of switching to a system of district representation to elect board members. Based on where in Orange County they reside, candidates can represent District 1, which encompasses Carrboro and Chapel Hill, District 2, which covers the rest of the county, or run at-large, representing the entire county. 

Incumbent Barry Jacobs is running as a Democrat for the at-large seat, while fellow Democrat Alice Gordon is running for the District 1 seat. Newcomer Earl McKee has put his name forward as a candidate for District 2. A resident of Rougemont, he is also running as a Democrat. Current county commissioner and former mayor of Carrboro Mike Nelson announced last fall he would not seek re-election when his term ends this year.

The candidate filing period runs through February 26th. Stay tuned to WCHL for updates on candidate filings as well as all your local election news.