With just one week to go before the qualification deadline, the field of potential candidates for county elections in 2018 has grown to 80.

As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 83 residents had picked up petitions to run for a county office. Of those 83, one candidate was disqualified from holding the office, another withdrew his candidacy after qualifying, and a third returned his petition to the Election Commission office and said he had changed his mind. Of the remaining 80, a total of 47 have turned in their petitions and qualified as candidates.

Individuals wishing to run for any of the county offices which are up for election this year have until noon on Feb. 15 to turn in their petitions and qualify as candidates.

The candidates who qualify will have until noon on Feb. 22 to withdraw from the election if they choose to do so. After that deadline has passed, all of the candidates who qualified and did not withdraw will appear on the appropriate ballots regardless of whether they change their minds later about seeking the office, according to Carter County Administrator of Elections, Tracy Harris.

Candidates seeking the endorsement of either the Carter County Republican Party or the Carter County Democratic Party as the party’s candidate for office will appear on the ballot for their party during the Primary Election to be held on May 1. Candidates who are running as Independents, meaning they do not have the nomination of either party, will appear on the General Election Ballot on August 2. Even if those Independent candidates do not compete in the Primary Election, those candidates must still meet the same qualification deadline as candidates seeking a party endorsement, Harris said.

So far, several candidates have filed paperwork to appear on the Republican Party Primary ballot and on the General Election ballot as an independent, but Harris said no candidate has picked up paperwork to appear on the Democratic Party Primary ballot for this election.

Below is a list of individuals who have picked up petitions seeking public offices in the specified races as either candidates for a political party nomination in the May primaries or as independent candidates who will appear on the ballot in the August general election. Those individuals who have already returned their paperwork and qualified as a candidate are listed with a * symbol after their name.

Carter County Mayor:

Rusty Barnett *

Larry Shell*

Danny Ward

Leon Humphrey*

Ray Lyons

Carter County

Sheriff:

Rocky Croy*

Dexter Lunceford*

Steve Stevenson*

County Clerk:

Bruce Pierce *

Patsy Lewis*

Mary Gouge*

Trustee:

Randall Lewis*

Walter F. Andrews Jr.

Register of Deeds:

Jarred “J” Ellis*

Jessica Markland*

Adam Townsend*

Chuck Baker

Road

Superintendent:

Roger Colbaugh*

Circuit Court Clerk:

Johnny Blankenship*

Carter County

Commission:

(Residents elect three per district)

• 1st District

Willie Campbell*

Dr. Robert Acuff

Steven Blevins

Philip “Steve” Stenstream

• 2nd District

Richard Guinn

Al Meehan

Mike Hill

Nancy Brown

• 3rd District

Brad Johnson*

Charles VonCannon*

Ronnie Trivett*

Kelvin G. Moffett

Phillip Brumit

• 4th District

Isaiah Grindstaff

William “Ol’ Gord” Grant*

Austin Jaynes

Jerry Proffitt

Michael R. Roberts

• 5th District

Ross Garland

Kevin Arnold

Edward Jordan*

Ginger Holdren*

• 6th District

Travis Hill*

Randall Jenkins*

Donnie Cable

John G. Lewis*

Gary Bailey*

• 7th District

Ray Lyons

Aaron V. Frazier

Bobby G. Blevins

• 8th District

Myles Cook*

Rick Richardson

Robin McKamey*

Kelly Collins*

Cody McQueen

Constable:

(Residents elect two per district)

• 1st District

Ronald Reed*

Larry P. Perry*

Gary W. Perry*

• 2nd District

Barney Brown*

Leonard Johnson*

Brian Keener

Paul Birchfield*

DeWayne Sabisch

Julie Guinn*

John Thompson

• 3rd District

Scotty Hall*

Jerry Miller

Robert “Bob” Carroll

Scott Whaley

• 4th District

Jason Jones*

Harvey Shaffer*

Roger Lunceford*

Bryan Russell*

Marshall Simerly

• 5th District

Larry Presnell*

Mark Carrier*

• 6th District

John Henson*

Bobby Trivette*

• 7th District

Gabriel “Seth” Babb*

Ken Potter*

• 8th District

Dave Ryan