Jim Merritt started a landslide of campaign slogans at the League of Women Voters forum Monday.

"Remember," he said in his closing statement,"Chapel Hill has Merritt."

Next in line was Matt Pohlman: "I don't have any catchy phrases. Pohlman is limiting."

Ed Harrison revived his slogan from 2005: "Common Sense for an Uncommon Town."

Laurin Easthom deconstructed the whole endeavor: "Chapel Hill Has Merritt. Everybody Votes Raymond. For Pease in a Pod. DeHart of Chapel Hill. All I ask is to just, 'Vote Easthom'. I can't think of anything."

City Council candidate Darius M. Little has launched his campaign Web site, http://dariusforcouncil.weebly.com.

The site describes his experience, goals and platform — the last concentrated on public safety and economic development.

Among goals, he has:

"Creating a 'family atmosphere' in Durham, by working to include all people in our Democracy, by allowing them to see their concerns being seriously addressed, at the decision-making table."

Susana Dancy, parent of two Carrboro High students and realtor, filed to run for a spot on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board today.

Dancy, who has spoken out for arts programs and academic equity at the relatively new Carrboro High, is the seventh candidate in the race. 

There are three open seats on the board this year.

The last day to file is tomorrow by noon.

East Chapel Hill High parent Christine Lee filed for school board elections today.

She joins five other candidates, including incumbent Greg McElveen, who are looking to fill three open seats on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board.

Lee has two kids at East Chapel Hill High and another who just graduated from the school. She has served on school improvement teams at Smith Middle and district-wide. She was also on the committee for high school redistricting a few years ago.

Also into the political field is Allan Polak of Valley Run, in southern Durham, who is challenging incumbent Mike Woodard for the Ward 3 council seat.

Polak is owner of Noah, an IT company with offices in Chapel Hill.

County commissioner Joe Bowser is supporting Donald Hughes's bid for the City Council, but he sounds like he has City Hall ambitions of his own.

Bowser told Bull's Eye this morning he's having his own press conference Friday, and that he will be at the Board of Election office that day — last day to file for the council or mayor's election this fall.

That was all he had to say this morning. 

Bowser regained a seat on the Durham County Board of Commissioners last year, after losing a re-election campaign in 2004. Since Bowser resides in the city's Ward 2, if he runs for a council seat he would be a fourth challenger for incumbent Howard Clement, who has held a council seat since 1983. 

Donald Hughes filed for election to the City Council's Ward 1 seat this morning, accompanied by about 20 supporters who included his mother, former council and school board member Jackie Wagstaff, and county commisssioner Joe Bowser.

"Win, lose or draw, may the campaign bring you joy," elections director Mike Ashe said when Hughes had signed the requisite papers and paid his $188.35 filing fee (below).

Hughes is challenging incumbent Cora Cole-McFadden, who defeated Wagstaff's council re-election bid in 2001.

"I'm focusing on my own campaign," Cole-McFadden said, speaking by telephone from New York, where she is attending the NAACP convention.

Before going to the Board of Elections to file, Hughes opened his campaign with a rally on Alston Avenue, across from Eastway Elementary School (above).

"This election is about inspiring Durham," he said, recalling his own inspiration as an Eastway pupil when a then-council member Cynthia Brown spoke to his class about community participation.

A May graduate of UNC Greensboro, Hughes said his campaign will take full advantage of technologies such as Facebook and Twitter with which he and his contemporaries have grown up.

"It is now our time," he said.

And there he is!

With three days to spare, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools board member Greg McElveen filed for re-election today.

McElveen has only been on the board for a year, serving out county commissioner Pam Hemminger's term.

He joins four other candidates vying for three open seats, listed in order of filing:  Michelle Brownstein, Gary Wallach, MaryAnne Gucciardi and J.M. (Joe) Green.

Political newcomer Donald Hughes takes the plunge into Durham's city election tomorrow, with a 10:30 a.m. rally on Alston Avenue.

"It's just been in me for as long as I can remember," Hughes told Bull's Eye this afternoon.

Hughes is challenging two-term incumbent Cora Cole-McFadden for the Ward 1 City Council seat.

"I really want to see Durham come together and move for action," he said.

Speculation around town has put Hughes into the city council field for months. A 2005 graduate of Hillside High School and 2009 graduate of UNC-Greensboro, he has made his opinions known at several city council and county commissioners' meetings this year.

"Being a native of Durham and growing up in the community ... I saw the importance of standing up for what you believe," he said.

Hughes is the son of former city councilwoman and former Durham Public Schools board member Jackie Wagstaff, Cole-McFadden defeated Wagstaff's bid for re-election to the council in 2001.

"My mother stressed the importance of giving back to my community at an early age," Hughes said.

J.M. (Joe) Green filed for election to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board today.

The UNC-Chapel Hill education professor applied last November to fill the Town Council seat left vacant after Bill Thorpe died last September. Jim Merritt was selected instead.

Green is also director of UNC's Upward Bound program, which helps local high school students from underrepresented or low-income groups prepare for college.

By filing, Green seeks to fill one of three open seats on the board. He joins three other contenders: Michelle Brownstein, Gary Wallach and MaryAnne Gucciardi.

One week of filing remains.