Reality TV star, central figure in Wake murder trial among 2018 candidates
If Donald Trump was able to ride his reality show fame to a stint in the White House, can Ronnie Shirley do the same and end up on the Wake County Board of Commissioners?
The star of the reality television show "Lizard Lick Towing" was among the thousands of candidates who filed to run for a state or county office this year in North Carolina before the filing period closed at noon Wednesday.
Also among the candidates is Heather Metour, who filed to run against Rep. Duane Hall, D-Wake, in the House District 11 Democratic primary.
Metour was an oft-mentioned but seldom seen character in the Brad Cooper murder trial a decade ago. Cooper was charged with strangling his wife and dumping her body at a Cary construction site.
Metour refused to testify in the case, but Cooper admitted to having had an affair with her, and other witnesses detailed her affair with another man.
Hall, meanwhile, was asked Wednesday by state Democratic officials to resign his office after an online story accusing him of sexual harassment.
"I think it is disgusting for anyone to have to face harassment in the workplace," Metour said.
Metour said the #MeToo movement and the desire for safer schools and cleaner water moved her to run or office, even though she was aware her past might also surface on the campaign trail.
"That was a time in my life that I made some mistakes, and I take full responsibility for those mistakes," she said. "But it's important for me to show my children that you can make mistakes and you can still move on and you can still go and do the right thing, and that is what my intention is."
Officials for both the Democratic and Republican parties crowed that they have fielded candidates for all 120 state House and all 50 state Senate races – the GOP is backing an unaffiliated candidate for one House seat in Wilson County – meaning nobody will run uncontested for the General Assembly this year.
In 2016, races for more than 70 of the 170 legislative seats were essentially over after the primary because only one party had fielded candidates.
Democrats, particularly in the House, have been aiming to run everywhere to put pressure on Republicans, who currently hold 110 of the seats. Democrats need to win six more Senate seats or four more House seats to break the Republicans' veto-proof majority and give more leverage to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.
Likewise, each of North Carolina's 13 seats in the U.S. House is contested at least at the primary level. Neither of the state's two U.S. senators is up for election this year.
'This is a new adventure'
Shirley, 45, took to social media Tuesday night to announce that he is running as an unaffiliated candidate for the District 6 seat on the Wake County Board of Commissioners. He and his wife, Amy, made the announcement on Facebook Live while their daughter watched.
"We felt like we've been called to change our direction in life and do things a little differently," he said. "So, today I'm announcing my candidacy for the commission seat in the 6th District of Wake County, which is totally new for me since I've never been in politics in my life. This is a new adventure."
Shirley rose to reality show fame on "Lizard Lick Towing," which aired on TruTV from 2011 to 2014.
The show chronicled the couple's life as they managed their vehicle towing and repossession business.
According to the Wake County Board of Elections, Shirley would have to clear a few hurdles before his name can appear on the ballot.
He has to have signatures of at least 28,000 registered Wake County voters before the May 8 primary. If that happens, Shirley would challenge Democratic Commissioner Greg Ford and Republican challenger David Blackwelder.
