Thursday's Internet Edition, August 28, 2008.
petition closer
|
Publisher There are half a dozen people interested in being the next Roane County Sheriff. But other offices on the ballot are not drawing much attention with the filing deadline only a few days away.
Malcolm Cottrell of Cottontree Road, Walton became the fourth Republican to file for the sheriff’s office late last week. Filing earlier were Dale Fluharty of Spencer, John Nicholson of Walton and Larry White of Amma. White is a former county commissioner and board of education member. Fluharty ran unsuccessfully for sheriff in 1972, 1976 and again in 1996. Cottrell ran in 2000 and 2004.
Democrats who have filed for the office are James Crowder and Danny Marks, both of Walton. Current sheriff Todd Cole is prohibited from seeking a third consecutive term.
Crowder was elected assessor in 1976. He ran unsuccessfully for sheriff in 1980.
A new candidate has joined the magistrate’s race.
Local business owner Linda Nichols-McCarty, wife of retired circuit judge Charles McCarty, tossed her hat into the ring on the Republican ticket, joining incumbent Denver Gandee Jr. Both are from Spencer.
Incumbent Russell Goodwin of Amma is the only candidate so far on the Democrat side. Each party can nominate two candidates in the primary for the general election this fall when the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, will be elected.
Both Gandee and Goodwin are completing their second four-year terms.
Only one person has filed for either of the two seats on the Roane Board of Education that will be on the ballot. Incumbent Joe Painter of Gandeeville filed last week. He lives in District II.
The other incumbent, David McCutcheon of Spencer, who lives in District I, had not filed for re-election.
Residents of any of the county’s three districts may run, but the two elected cannot come from the same district.
Both McCutcheon and Painter were elected to their first four-year term in 2004.
The school board election is non-partisan, with the two winners in the primary election taking office on July 1 for four-year terms.
Incumbent Rodney Cox, a Democrat from Walton completing his first six-year term, is the only candidate from either party who has filed for the county commission seat.
The seat is open for candidates from District III, which includes those registered at precincts in Newton, Left Hand, Amma, Linden and Walton.
Incumbent Emily Westfall is the lone candidate for assessor. The Spencer Republican is completing her second four-year term.
Prosecuting attorney Mark Sergent, a Walton Democrat, does have opposition, but not until the fall. Josh Downey, a Republican from Clendenin, filed earlier.
No candidates have filed for the unpaid position of county surveyor, currently held by Democrat Rick Prine.
On the regional level, circuit judges Tom Evans III, a Ripley Republican, and David Nibert, a Democrat from Pt. Pleasant, remain without challengers to their respective re-election bids, as does family court judge Larry Whited, a Republican from Grantsville.
Also without opposition are State Senators Donna Boley of St. Marys in the 3rd District and Karen Facemyer of Ripley from the 4th District and House of Delegates member Bob Ashley of Spencer in the 11th District. All are Republicans.
Candidates for multi-county offices file at the W.Va. Secretary of state’s office, while local candidates file at their county courthouse.
The filing period remains open through this Saturday. The Roane County Clerk’s office will be open until noon Saturday for candidates for local offices, while the Secretary of State’s office traditionally stays open until midnight for those filing for multi-county or statewide offices.
