CORNELIUS – Barring the unlikely appearance of a write-in candidate, Jeff Tarte won his third term as mayor of Cornelius on July 15.

When filing for municipal offices closed at noon on that Friday, Tarte became the only candidate not drawing official opposition in north Mecklenburg’s three

municipalities. Cornelius’ commissioners contest also appears tame compared to the lively, electoral disputes developing in Huntersville and Davidson. Four incumbents – Dave Gilroy, Lynette Rinker, Chuck Travis and Thurman Ross Jr. –and newcomers John Bradford III and Jeff Hare are competing for fives seat at the board. (See candidate boxes below.)

Though he’s received a lot of congratulatory messages from Cornelius residents, Tarte said this week he never forgets “you serve at the beck and call of the community.”

Tarte did not draw opposition in 2009, either, and he hopes “people think you’re doing a good job and the town is headed in right direction.”

John R. Bradford III

Age: 36

Family: wife, Shea; four children, Jack, Molly and identical twins Sophie and Macy

Political experience: First attempt at public office; board of directors, Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce

Education: BS in engineering, Clemson University; master’s in business administration, University of Memphis

Job: Licensed N.C. real estate broker; founder and principal, Park Avenue Properties, Cornelius

Contact: 704-334-2626, 704-453-9348, jbradford@parkavenuenc.com

Jeff Hare

Age: 44

Family: wife, Jacqueline; three children attending Community School of Davidson.

Political experience: First attempt at public office

Education: BA in economics, Whittemore School at the University of New Hampshire; master’s in international management, Thunderbird School of Global Management

Job: Founder and managing director, Windward Capital, Huntersville

Contact: 704-953-0077, jeff.hare@windwardgroup.com, www.windwardgroup.com

Dave Gilroy (incumbent)

Age: 45

Family: wife of 16 years, Dee; daughters, Shannon 13, Blythe 11, Ava, 7, and Devin, 2

Education: Bachelor of science and engineering, Princeton University; master’s in business administration, Harvard Business School

Political Experience: Six years (elected 2005), Cornelius Board of Commissioners

Job: Founder and managing director, Scale Finance LLC

Contact: 704-258-6653, gilroy@scalefinance.com, www.scalefinance.com

Lynette Rinker (incumbent)

Age:  54

Family:  husband, Mark; daughter Casey Martin and husband, Eric, and granddaughter, Whitney, of Cross Lanes, W.Va.; daughter Tori, 17, rising senior, Woodlawn

School; son, David, 16, rising sophomore, Pine Lake Prep.

Political experience: Currently Cornelius mayor pro tem (elected 2009), member of Mecklenburg County Republican Executive Committee, precinct vice chairman. Previously served on Cornelius Planning Board, Land Development Code Committee, Transportation Advisory Committee and Growth Management Committee.

Education: BA, University of South Carolina

Job: part-time business manager, Isaacs + Associates Architects

Contact: lynetterinker@gmail.com

Thurman Ross Jr. (incumbent)

Age: 49

Political experience: 16 years (senior member), Cornelius Board of Commissioners

Education: BS in computer science, N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University

Job: Realtor, Newport Properties

Contact: 704-968-5876, thurman@teamnewport.com

Chuck Travis (incumbent)

Age: 52

Family: wife of 29 years, Janice; daughter, Ashley, working in advertising in New York City; son, Chase, rising sophomore, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Political experience: Elected to commission in 2009; three years on Cornelius Planning Board, co-chairman in 2009; chairman of Cornelius Architectural Review Board, 2008 and 2009.

Education: BA in architecture, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; bachelor of architecture, North Carolina State University; executive education, Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Job: Licensed architect; founder and principal, The Housing Studio PA, Charlotte.

Contact: 704-905-2980, ctravis@housingstudio.com