Sunday's Internet Edition, September 07, 2008.

With incumbent Todd Cole prohibited from seeking a third consecutive term, nine candidates signed up to replace him before the filing period closed Saturday.

One of the five Democrats seeking the office is Scott Tolley, a Sgt. 1st Class with the Army National Guard 821st Engineering Co. from Spencer currently stationed in Iraq.

Tolley, 30, of Spencer was home on leave when he filed. He will be returning to Iraq Sunday. He hopes the entire local unit will be returning home by late spring.

Tolley said his supporters would have to do his most of his campaigning for him in the primary election, except what he can do via email.

“If I make it through the primary, I’ll be back here for the general,” he said.

Tolley was a Roane sheriff’s deputy for 3-1/2 years, and has worked as a Putnam County deputy since November 2001. He has been on active duty with the National Guard since February of last year and has been in Iraq since October. The local unit is stationed outside Baghdad.

Also filing Friday was Mike Harper, a former Roane deputy and current member of the Spencer Police Dept. Also entering the race was Christopher Rhodes of Spencer.

Democrats filing earlier were former sheriff’s deputy and assessor James Crowder and towing company operator Danny Marks, both of Walton.

Republicans who had filed earlier were Malcolm Cottrell and John Nicholson of Walton, Dale Fluharty of Spencer and former county commissioner and school board member Larry White of Amma.

One new Republican joined the magistrate’s race. Jason Bennett filed in the field that already included Linda Nichols-McCarty and incumbent Denver Gandee Jr. Two of the three Republicans will be nominated for the general election. Democrat incumbent Russell Goodwin is unopposed in the primary.

Prosecuting attorney Mark Sergent, a Democrat from Walton, is being challenged by Republican Josh Downey of Clendenin.

Incumbent Assessor Emily Westfall, a Republican, and County Commissioner Rodney Cox, a Democrat, are without opposition. No candidate from either party filed for the unpaid position of surveyor.

Democrat and Republican county committees will have until Feb. 25 to fill ballot vacancies.

At least one new school board member will be elected after one of the two incumbents chose not to seek re-election.

Dave McCutcheon, currently serving his first term, did not file for re-election. The other incumbent, retired school administrator Joe Painter of Gandeeville, did file.

The two new candidates to join the race are Mario Sotomayor of Spencer and Paul Cummings of Walton, a retired vocational agriculture teacher at Walton and Roane County high schools.

The top two vote getters in non-partisan voting conducted in conjunction with the primary election will take office July 1.