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Clerk candidates debate staffing and experience after recent turnover in Rockingham County
Summary
Incumbent Abner Bullens and challenger Kelly Stanfield Carter clashed over staff turnover, training and institutional knowledge. Carter cited large staff departures and pledged staff training; Bullens cited administrative experience and financial oversight.
The two candidates for Rockingham County Clerk of Superior Court used the forum to frame competing claims about experience and office management.
Challenger Kelly Stanfield Carter, an assistant clerk, said the office has seen significant turnover: she cited 28 departures since December 1, 2022, and argued for increased training and consistency. “Those people are in other and that concerns me very much,” Carter said, describing vacancies that hamper institutional knowledge.
Incumbent Abner Bullens pushed back on Carter’s critique and highlighted his experience leading the office and handling a wide array of judicial functions, including probate and guardianship hearings and overseeing monthly financial flows he characterized as “about 1.3 to $1,500,000 every month.” Bullens also praised his staff and defended recent implementation of a new case-management system.
Both candidates stressed service and competence; Carter emphasized hands-on clerk’s-office experience and a desire to improve staff knowledge, while Bullens emphasized leadership experience across emergency and judicial responsibilities. The forum did not include formal audits or external staffing reports; statements reflect candidate claims.
