RALEIGH – With the North Carolina Supreme Court’s decision last week upholding a new Wake County venue for the state’s ongoing redistricting litigation, it seems likely that the current election schedule will hold. That means candidate filings for federal, state, and local offices over the next two weeks will lead to a July 20 primary, and in some cases an August runoff.

In races for the state legislature, there are 120 House seats and 50 Senate seats up for grabs, at least theoretically. In actuality, a far smaller set of seats – something in the range of about two dozen in the House and eight to 10 in the Senate – will be seriously contested in November, and some of these are places where the defeat of incumbents will be a major challenge for the other party. Still, even in safe Democratic or Republican territory, there will be some competitive primaries worth following.

Here is a partial list of some of the races I’ll be watching closely, beginning with the candidate-filing period now underway:

• Coastal-county Senate seats. Two rematches from 2002 are possible, in two swing districts. In District 3, centered on New Bern, Democratic incumbent Scott Thomas seems destined for another face-off with former Craven County Commission Chairman Chuck Tyson, the Republican. Thomas won narrowly against Tyson last time in this very competitive district. To the south, another potential rematch in Jacksonville’s District 6 would have Democratic incumbent Cecil Hargett face Republican Tommy Pollard. But first, Pollard will have to win the GOP primary against Harry Brown. Hargett is a conservative Democrat, a key asset in this Republican-trending area. Finally, Senate GOP leader Patrick Ballantine’s resignation sets up a competitive primary in New Hanover-based District 9, the winner likely facing Democrat Julia Boseman, who is vice chairwoman of the county commission.

• The Reeves exit. Sen. Eric Reeves of Wake County is retiring, and his leaning Democrat but somewhat-in-play district in the center and western parts of the county has attracted a long line of Democratic candidates. Three names worth watching are local real-estate broker and political activist Carter Worthy, Raleigh city councilman Janet Cowell, and attorney and previous Democratic candidate Jack Nichols. On the Republican side, Mark Bradrick had already announced his intention to challenge Reeves, and remains the only GOP standard-bearer of which I am aware. He is an insurance adjuster and former Marine.

• The Metcalf exit. Democratic Sen. Steve Metcalf stepped down earlier this year from his Asheville seat, and was replaced by longtime House member Martin Nesbitt for the remainder of the term. Nesbitt is a colorful and effective politician, but is somewhat more on the political left than Metcalf was. The district now leans a bit more to the Democratic column than it did in 2002, but could potentially be in play for the GOP with a good, well-financed candidate.

• Hello, Cleveland! Spinal Tap may have gotten lost in the bowels of a certain Ohio venue, but in North Carolina there’s no way to miss the political significance of a band of House and Senate districts that encompass Cleveland and Rutherford counties. On the Senate side, Democratic incumbent Walter Dalton must defend a swing seat against, so far, Republican Jim Teska, a Kings Mountain businessman. On the House side, Republican Tim Moore’s 111th District in Cleveland County and Democrat Robert England’s 112th District in Cleveland and Rutherford counties are both swing seats. Moore’s opponent so far is Kathryn Hamrick of Boiling Springs.

• Mountain Match-ups. There’s a new open Senate seat in Burke and Cadwell counties, the 44th, and plenty of candidates already announcing. Dan DeHart, a high school principal and Democrat, may meet either former Rep. George Robinson of Caldwell or former Burke commissioner Jim Jacumin. The seat is moderately Republican. In the House, former Spruce Pine Mayor Phil Frye beat incumbent Republican Buck Buchanan in the GOP primary for the 84th District in 2002. It looks like they’ll face off again in 2004, which might as well be the general election in this Republican stronghold.

That’s all for now, but as more candidate announcements come I’ll be adding to the list former Sen. Fountain Odom’s comeback bid Mecklenburg, perennially competitive House seats in Rowan and Davidson counties, the Hugh Webster Experience in Alamance, and expected primary challenges across the Morgan/anti-Morgan Republican divide.

Hood is president of the John Locke Foundation and publisher of Carolina Journal.