The New Year ushered in a new wave of political opportunities. January 2 opened the qualifying period for candidates running for statewide, state district, legislative, county, and county district offices.
Offices that will be voted on this year include governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, commissioner of agriculture and commerce, public service commissioner, transportation commissioner, district attorney, senatators, representatives, sheriff, chancery clerk, circuit clerk, tax assessor, justice court judge, supervisor positions, election commissioners, and constable.
The qualifying deadline for candidates set for March 1 passed Friday and the list is set.
Primary elections for partisan candidates will be held on August 6 with necessary runoff elections to follow on August 27. The General Election is scheduled for November 5, and runoffs will be held on November 26.
Simpson County voter participation has been on the rise lately, and the trend will likely continue with the increased number of offices available this year.
Citizens wishing to participate in the upcoming election need to register at the Simpson County Circuit Clerk’s office. Voter registration applications are also available to be printed online at the Secretary of State’s website. These forms must be mailed to the Simpson County Circuit Clerk’s office.
Of the 15 local races being featured on the ballot, only five races will advance to the November without a clear winner. Many will be decided in the August primaries.
Three candidates qualified for the office of chancery clerk, Tommy Joe Harvey (R), Bill Gerald (I) and Willie Ree McDonald (D). The three will have no opposition in the upcoming primaries, but instead will face each other in the November General Election.
The office of circuit clerk produced four candidates, Steve Womack (R), Terrence Norwood (D), Keilah Berry (R), and Witt Fortenberry (R). Berry and Womack were previously pitted against each other in a close race that saw Womack emerge as the winner. Newcomers Terrence Norwood and Witt Fortenberry have made strong efforts in vying for the office. Norwood faces no opposition in the Democratic Primary and will face the winner of the Berry, Fortenberry, and Womack contest in the Republican Primary.
Constable Post 1 will be decided in August between two Republican candidates Jamie Freeman and Randall Coleman. Constable Post 2 will also be decided between two Republican candidates Dusty Drennan and Christopher Jones. These two candidates recently participated in an election last November that was decided by one percent. Drennan received 2,116 votes (49%) and Jones received 2,196 votes (50%).
Coroner Terry Tutor and Election Commissioner Donna Magee will retain their offices after being unopposed.
Justice Court Judge Post 1 will be decided between Allen Floyd and Ted Blakeney in the Republican Primary. Justice Court Judge Post 2 race will be between Charles Savell and Joey Womack. Savell recently took over the position after the election last November in which he won by 7 votes over Tracey Brown. Joey Womack has served as the assistant police chief of Magee for several years. The two will face each other in Republican primary to determine the winner.
The Sheriff’s office has produced four candidates. Sheriff Donald O’Cain and Interim Sheriff Greg Reynolds were not among the candidates to qualify. Dalton McGovern and the much anticipated Paul Mullins qualified for the Republican Party and Cedrick Allbritton and Darrell Walker qualified for the Democratic Party. The winner of each primary will face each other in the November election.
The Simpson County Board of Supervisors may have new faces following this election season. Supervisor of District 1 office produced three candidates. Incumbent Curtis Skiffer will face G. Mitchell Chatman, and Wayne Stubbs in the Democratic Primary. Supervisor of District 2 will be decided in the Republican Primary. James Tony Craft, Allen Maddox, Danny Craft, and Terry “Bubba” Brannan Jr all qualified for the position.
The incumbent of Supervisor District 3 Brian Kennedy is running unopposed and will retain his position. Supervisor races for District 4 and District 5 will be decided in November. In District 4 Hardy Williams qualified as the lone democratic candidate. Donny Welch, Gerald Brown, and Mickey Berry will face-off in the Republican primary, and the winner will face Williams in November.
Supervisor District 5 seems to be the most sought after position in the county, producing 8 candidates. Larry Barnes and Fredrick Alexander qualified as Democrats. Jason Rowan McCoy, Randy Moore, John Stanley, James Richard Bridges, Dean Barnard, and Mickey Welch qualified as Republicans.
Jamie Reed Brewer will be the new Tax Assessor for Simpson County as she runs unopposed. She will be taking over the position from Charles Baldwin who served in the role for over 20 years.
The Magee Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Magee Courier/ Simpson County News will be hosting a political speaking on March 19 starting at 5 p.m. at Ural Everett Park. The format will allow each candidate 4 minutes to give their platform. This will be a great opportunity for citizens to hear from candidates prior to the August primary election. Primary elections will be held on August 6 with necessary runoff elections to follow on August 27. The General election is scheduled for November 5, and runoffs will be held on November 26. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the upcoming election and have their voices heard in deciding new leadership.
