News-Record.com

There's an interesting primary shaping up in House District 61, the seat now held by Republican Laura Wiley, of High Point, who is serving her second term.

George Ragsdale, 31, of Jamestown, has filed as a Republican to run against her. Ragsdale has never run for office before but you might recognize his name.

He's part of the Ragsdale political family from Jamestown. His father was a long-time mayor and council member and his grandfather served as a county commissioner. Various other relatives have also held political office.

So he gets points right off for having a brand-name, at least in southwestern Guilford County.

He's a banker and runs the Wrennovation Companies - the spelling is a play on his middle name - that re-develops properties, both jobs that put him out in the community a lot.

Ragsdale says he has no particular ax to grind with Wiley but says he thinks he can do more for the county.

"I have no quarrel with Laura Wiley at all," Ragsdale said, "I appreciate and respect the work she has done. But I know I can do more."

We talked a little about issues. Improving education is on his list, as is limiting the role of government in areas where he thinks it ought not to be.

"I'm also the greenest Republican you've ever seen," he said. We spent a little time talking about his desire to boost the use of alternative fuels by having state fleets like police cars, school buses and ferries use E85 ethanol and biodiesel.

This doesn't seem to be a challenge from Wiley's right. Wiley has been able to get some bills through the Democratically-held General Assembly, and has even voted in favor of a budget or two - because it had money for the High Point Furniture Market - something that can get a legislator in trouble with GOP hard-liners. But Ragsdale seems to be equally a pragmatist - the whole more earth-friendly fuel line is hardly a page out of the Art Pope playbook.

No Democrat has filed to run in this district and voter registration numbers here indicate that the eventual Republican nominee will have a strong advantage.

This is the second Guilford County race where an incumbent has picked up a challenger who might just be able to have some success. In Senate District 28, incumbent Katie Dorsett faces a challenge from county commissioner Bruce Davis.