This week, NC State Rep. Ashton Clemmons ­a Democrat representing District 57, which covers much of Guilford County, put out a social media post announcing that she plans on resigning from her NC House of Representatives seat later this summer.

Clemmons is taking a job with the University of North Carolina school system.

That district includes part of Greensboro and parts of Guilford County.

Now the Democrats have to fill that seat before Clemmons vacates it – as well as pick a candidate to run for the seat in November.

On Wednesday, July 17, Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston – the most powerful Democratic politician in the county – announced who he wants to fill the seat.

Alston’s endorsement means a great deal, but, unlike when Alston endorsed Frankie Jones Jr. to fill a vacant seat on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners – which basically meant Jones would get that job – in this case, there are a lot of forces at play.

“I wanted people to know where I stand on this,” Alston told the Rhino Times Wednesday. “I am endorsing Linda Wilson.”

Alston said he’d spoken with a number of those who will take part in the selection process who also plan to support Wilson.

Wilson, a native of Franklin County, has lived in Greensboro ever since she graduated from NC A&T University.

 In 2022, she ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Greensboro City Council stating that she believes, “We can enhance our community by promoting economic development, affordable housing, and improving public safety and security.”

“She’s been very active in the community and has a good relationship with people in the party and others,” Alston said, adding that he’d been impressed with her bio and her long record of community service.

Alston also said that, technically, the local Democratic Party leaders in the precincts in District 57 have two choices to make: one as to who will finish out the term and another to decide who’ll be the candidate in the November election.

“That can be two different people, but, usually, in this type of situation, there will be one person for both.”

Alston said he believes that will be the case this time around and he hopes that that one person will be Wilson.

She has served as the executive director of the Sebastian Health Center on the NC A&T campus and has a Bachelor of Science, a master’s degree in guidance and counseling, and a PhD in leadership studies and adult education.

She also has a lot of management experience, mostly in the healthcare field, and she’s been a recipient of the NC Governor’s Award for Excellence.

She also served as the interim director of alumni affairs at NC A&T, and as the assistant athletic director for the university’s athletics department.

When she ran for a seat on the Greensboro City Council, she said economic development would be one of her priorities as well as growing public transportation options in the area. Another part of her platform included giving more training for police officers as to the best way to handle residents with mental health issues.

After Clemmons stepped down from her seat earlier this month, the local Democratic Party sent out a notification that people who wanted to be considered for this position needed to send an email to that effect “ASAP.”

“As you might have heard by now, NC House District 57 Representative Ashton Clemmons has resigned her seat in the NC General Assembly,” that statement from the party read. “We will miss having her representing Guilford County in Raleigh and wish her well in all her future endeavors. Now comes the job of filling her seat in the House and her spot on the ballot in November. Guilford County Democratic Party County Executive Committee members in Ashton’s current and former district will have an opportunity to elect her replacement in the House and on the ballot.”

“That email should include your full name (as it appears on your voter registration), a phone number and the address at which you are registered to vote,” it notes.

In Clemmons’ statement of departure posted on the social media platform X, Clemmons wrote, “It has truly been a great honor to serve the people of Guilford County and the State of North Carolina as a State Representative since 2019. Our state thrives when leaders focus on the people we serve; I am eternally grateful for the opportunities to learn deeply about our great state and move forward solutions for North Carolinians.”

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