CLAY COUNTY-Since the last election update published, five new candidates have qualified to run, but a half-dozen others have joined this list of new potential candidates by picking up their qualifying papers as of March 12,2017, according to local election administrator Wanda Daniels.

Incumbent county mayor Dale Reagan, 2nd district incumbent county commissioner Denzil Cherry, and 2nd district commission-seat candidate Jeffrey Gentry make up a list of three of the new qualifiers who had previously secure petitions.

District 17 Republican state executive committeeman candidate Dwayne Craighead and 5th District School Board candidate Doug Strong are the other two and both picked up their papers and returned them with the required number of signatures since the HORIZON’s last update.

They join incumbents Brandon Boone (sheriff), Susan Birdwell (circuit court clerk), Brenda Browning (register of deeds), Jason Browning (road superintendent), Charlie Key (trustee), and Donna Watson (county clerk), along with new candidates David “Rat” Westmoreland (county mayor) and Terry Scott (sheriff) on the list of 13 total candidates who have received qualification.

The six new potential candidates to secure petitions include incumbents Bryan Coons (1st Dist. School Board), Todd Lynn (3rd Dist. School Board), Todd Upton (5th Dist. School Board), Jerry Rhoton (4th Dist. Commissioner), and Champ Langford (5th Dist. Commissioner), along with newcomer Kenneth Miller (5th Dist. Commissioner).

They join nine others who had previously picked up papers: Tony Daniels (Register of Deeds), Dorothy Burchett Forney (Incumbent 3rd Dist. Commissioner), Winton Young (Incumbent 4th Dist. Commissioner), Elizabeth Boles (Incumbent 5th Dist. Commissioner), Billy Joe White (2nd Dist. Commission), Ricky Short (5th Dist. Commission), Jeanne Key (5th Dist. Commission), Jozef Kaslikowski (5th Dist. Commission), and Anthony Boles (4th Dist. Commission).

The latest information shows a total of 15 potential candidates with papers in hand. Add those to the 13 qualified at this time and a total of 28 have shown indications of running in the Thursday, August 2nd County General Election.

Primaries for U.S. Senate, 6th District U.S. Congress, Governor, 17th District State Senate, 38th District State Representative, and 17th District State Executive Committeeman and Woman will also be held as a part of the same election. The General Election for the same offices will be held Tuesday, November 6.

Qualifying papers are currently available and the qualifying deadline is noon on Thursday, April 5. The post deadline for sheriff comes before the qualifying deadline on March 22. After qualifying, candidates have the option to withdraw through April 12. Early voting for the August election will be held July 13-28.

See a future Dale Hollow HORIZON newspaper for continued election updates.