Two Republicans are vying for the Randolph County Commission District 3 seat.
The incumbent and challenger differ on what’s been a contentious local issue: the dismissal of the library board.
Commissioners voted to dissolve the entire public library board of trustees in December. That was after the board decided to keep a book about a transgender boy in the children’s section.
David Allen was one of two commissioners who voted against the dismissal. He talked about the importance of having institutional knowledge on the board, and added that the removal would set a poor precedent.
Allen has held the District 3 seat since 2014. He’s running against Republican Carrie Slatosky, who currently serves as a soil and water district supervisor for the county.
On her campaign website and social media page, she’s posted about supporting the commission’s decision to remove the library board. She emphasizes that she doesn’t support government book bans, but believes the book in question should have been relocated.
Slatosky also has a post responding to allegations about her past that surfaced online. Iredell County Court records show she was charged with simple assault in 2011, though it was dismissed a month later. She says she was a victim of domestic violence, and both she and her abuser were arrested after that particular incident.
Slatosky also has a food nutrition fraud charge from 2013, which was dismissed as well. She had to pay more than $4,000 in restitution.
In a statement to WFDD, she maintained that she has never committed a crime, and never been convicted of a crime.