Candidates ready to run; three call it quits

April 1– Today was the deadline to qualify for the ballot and run for office in the Aug. 5 Hardin County general election.

Unless a candidate drops out by Thursday at noon, seven of 17 incumbent Hardin County commissioners are sure to be reelected.

All 20 commission seats are on the ballot. Commissioners Tom Haggard of District 9, Stacey Stricklin of District 8 and Ernie Bigbie of District 6 chose not to seek another term.

Five of the 10 seats on the Hardin County Board of Education are also on the ballot. All five current board members chose to run again, but only Sue Bromley of District 4 faces a challenger–Gary W. Vickery.

School board members Janie Milender (Dist. 2), Jeanell Dennis (Dist. 6), David Baker (Dist. 8) and David Burgess (Dist. 10) are all getting a free pass for another four years of service.

In county-wide races, Mayor Kevin Davis is opposed in his bid for a third four-year term by Kim Stricklin, who served as county mayor nearly 16 years ago, and L.C. Harris.

Incumbent sheriff Sammy Davidson is up against Jim Davis, a past candidate and former law enforcement officer who now works for the paper mill in Counce, T.J. Barker, an investigator for the Savannah Police Department, and Charles B. Seaton, a former military man.

There are two candidates for county clerk, incumbent Connie Stephens and Larry Arendall, who tried to unseat Stephens in the last election four years ago.

Wesley A. Jerrolds is taking on current Superintendent of Roads Paul Blount for the job.

Trustee Linda McCasland and Circuit Court Clerk Diane Polk are both unopposed for reelection.

Register of Deeds Julie Adkisson is facing opposition in the form of Kendrick Stricklin, a prominent member of Concerned Citizens for Hardin County, the organization which sought to stop the coming consolidation and closure of five schools.

 

Returning to county commission contests, District 1 Commissioners Gary Combs and Fred McFalls are unopposed.

District 2 candidates are incumbents Adam Coleman and Charles Howard, and Darren R. Howard.

District 3 Commissioners Roger Jenkins and David Childers are on the ballot, joined by Michael L. Wilcutt.

In District 4, incumbents Tracey Grisham and James Whitehorn Sr. face challengers in Charles D. Holloway and Vicky K. Cotner.

District 5 has four candidates on the ballot, incumbents Jimmy Guy Grisham and Kathy Smith, and David L. Channell and Charles F. Haley.

District 6 Commissioner Nickie Cagle is on the ballot for reelection, facing off against Boyce A. Bain, Billy G. Franks and Ted Cook.

Commissioners Gene Bryant and Mike Jerrolds of District 7 are seeking another term, and are on the ballot with Jonas E. Morris and James S. Powell.

In District 8, Thomas L. Smith and Commissioner Wally Hamilton are unopposed.

District 9 has Commissioner Emery White, Larry W. Byrd and Carl A. Forsbach on the ballot.

Incumbents James Berry and Mike Fowler have no one running against them for the District 10 seats.

In Hardin County Road Board elections on the Aug. 5 ballot, Jamie Lee Johnson and Billy J. Grooms are unopposed for the District 3 and District 4 seats respectively.