CLAY COUNTY-Since the last election update published, six more candidates have qualified to run, pushing the total to nearly 20, and another has joined this list of new potential candidates by picking up their qualifying papers as of HORIZON press time, according to local election administrator Wanda Daniels.
Headlining the list of the newly-qualified is register of deeds candidate Tony Daniels, who will challenge previously-qualified incumbent Brenda Browning.
The other five to qualify include incumbent county commissioners Liz Boles (5th Dist.), Timmy Boles (3rd Dist.), and Winton Young (4th Dist.), along with 4th District challenger Anthony Boles and 3rd District school board incumbent David West—who picked up his papers and qualified since the last update.
The lone potential candidate who picked up his papers recently is county commission incumbent Parrish Wright (2nd Dist.).
He joins incumbents Bryan Coons (1st Dist.), Dorothy Forney (3rd Dist.), Champ Langford (5th Dist.), and Jerry Rhoton (4th Dist.), along with potential challengers Jozef Kaslikowski (5th Dist.), Kenneth Miller (5th Dist.), Ricky Lee Short (5th Dist.), and Billy Joe White (2nd Dist.), in a group of 9 who have petitions yet to be returned with the required number of signatures.
Incumbent 2nd District commissioner Denzil Cherry, 2nd District challenger Jeffrey Gentry, Liz Boles, Anthony Boles, Timmy Boles, and Young make up the list of six commission candidates currently qualified to run.
West joins 5th District challenger Doug Strong as one of only two school board candidates qualified, but three others have shown their intentions by picking up papers. They include incumbents Todd Lynn (3rd Dist.) and Todd Upton (5th Dist.), and challenger Jeanne Key (5th Dist.).
Others previously qualified to run include 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), Terry Scott (sheriff), and Dwayne Craighead (Rep. Committeeman).
The latest information shows a total of 12 potential candidates with papers in hand. Add those to the 19 qualified at this time and a total of 31 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. 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 HORIZON for continued election updates.