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The candidate who filed under the name Kirk Perkins for a soil and water conservation race hasn’t shown up, probably won’t and might not be the person he claimed to be.

Guilford County’s Board of Elections will take up the issue Tuesday.

Few seem to have much definitive information about the candidate who ran and won a seat on the unpaid, nonpartisan Board of Supervisors for Guilford County Soil and Water Conservation District .

The other Kirk Perkins in the county, C.F. “Kirk” Perkins III , was also on the same ballot in November and won a seat on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners.

“They should call him 'The Candidate Formerly Known as Kirk Perkins,’” said Perkins, the commissioner.

The winner didn’t show to be sworn in for the soil and water board. His former roommate, David Crawford,  also previously said he couldn’t be found.

Calls to his listed residence with the county go to a canceled line. Certified letters from the county have been returned.

According to the state Board of Elections, if a seat on the local soil and water board of supervisors goes unfilled, the state soil and water commission can appoint someone.

The board of supervisors recommended appointing Herb Hendrickson  to the post, Chairman George Teague said . Now the state soil and water commission will review that recommendation.

Johnnie Mclean , deputy director of the state board of elections, said her office might review the candidate filing process because of the issue, but she hasn’t seen anything like this.

“You’re kidding,” she said upon hearing the bizarre story.

A Social Security number from the candidate matched a national database, Mclean said, and the confirmation for the voter registration lined up.

The person who claimed to be Kirk Perkins on his voter application and candidate filing could even have been someone else, Mclean and others said.

“The voter registration process is based on trust in the voter applicant providing true and accurate information,” Mclean said. “And those are signed under penalty of perjury.”

 
Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt@news-record.com