Qualifying for Jones County’s local elections took place last week with a few surprises, including unexpected qualifiers and one unexpected non-qualifier.
All five incumbents of the Jones County Board of Commissioners qualified to run for re-election with four of them qualifying on the first day qualifying opened. Chairman Chris Weidner, District 2 Commissioner John Wood and District 3 Commissioner Wendy Vaughn filled out their paperwork together Monday morning, March 4.
All four commissioners qualified as Republicans.
Daylon Martin came in a few minutes later Monday and qualified to run as a Democrat. He was still dressed as the Grinch, following a reading engagement at Jones County HeadStart in celebration of Dr. Seuss Week.
District 1 Commissioner Sam Kitchens, Republican, qualified to run Wednesday afternoon.
Three of the incumbents will be facing opposition.
Micah Harley, 22, qualified to run against Wood. Harley listed his occupation as salesman and qualified to run as a Republican, which means he will face off against Wood in the May 21 primary election.
Dan Howard, real estate broker, qualified as a Republican to run against Vaughn in the May primary to represent Commission District 3.
Martin, the sole Democrat on the Board of Commissioners, is facing opposition from Alton West, who qualified to run as a Republican. West listed his occupation as a utility contractor.
Martin and West will not face off until the Nov. 5 General Election.
Jones County’s Constitutional Officers all qualified for re-election without competition. Sheriff Butch Reece was the first to qualify Monday morning. He was followed a few minutes later by Pam Dixon, who qualified for re-election as Clerk of Superior Court, and Lewis Patterson, who qualified for re-election for Probate Judge. Tax Commissioner Brian Jackson also qualified to run for re-election.
All of the constitutional officers qualified as Republicans with the exception of the office of Probate Judge, which is non-partisan.
Jones County Coroner Matt Jarratt qualified as a Republican to run for re-election. He is opposed by Steve Johnson, who also qualified as a Republican. Johnson listed his occupation as pastor. The question of who will serve as Jones County’s coroner will be decided in the May 21 primary.
Jones County Board of Education members are non-partisan. Two of the Board of Education seats, Districts 2 and 4, are up for election this year, due to the staggard terms.
District 4 incumbent Kimbrell Washburn qualified for re-election without competition.
District 2 incumbent Alfred Pitts, however, made the decision not to run for re-election. Two candidates qualified to run for the seat, Brady Skinner and Rice Adams. The decision of who will replace Pitts will be made during the May 21 non-partisan election, but the winner will not take his place on the board until Jan. 1, 2025.
When his term ends at the end of December, Pitts will have served 16 years on the board. The incumbent was a teacher, then principal, and defeated 21-year Board of Education incumbent Willie Fluellen in the July 15, 2008, primary election for his seat on the board, two weeks after he retired as principal of Califf Middle School.
The date of Jones County’s primary election and non-partisan elections is May 21, with advanced voting taking place April 29 through May 17. The last day to register to vote in the May 21 election is April 22.
The date for the General Election is Nov. 5, with early voting scheduled Oct. 15 to Nov. 1. The final day to register for the General Election is Oct. 7.
