The race for Mayor of Smithville will be contested on August 2 but the alderman candidates will be unopposed.

Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss will be seeking his 3rd term but he will face a challenge from Josh Miller, who currently serves as alderman. Curtis Rust is also in the race to unseat Mayor Poss.

Incumbent alderman Gayla Hendrix and political newcomer Brandon Cox are unopposed for the two alderman seats up for election.

The terms for mayor and aldermen are each for four years.

Noon Thursday, April 5 was the qualifying deadline.

Meanwhile a mayor and five aldermen will be elected in Liberty on August 2.

Incumbent Liberty Mayor Dwight Mathis will be seeking re-election but Darrell W. Johnson will be trying to unseat him.

The alderman candidates, Dwayne Blair, J.D. Bratten, Derek Johnson, Jason H. Ray, and William Howard Reynolds, Jr., are all running unopposed.

Noon Thursday, August 5 was the qualifying deadline.

Three aldermen are to be elected in Dowelltown on August 2 but only one candidate qualified, Ronald L. Griffith.

Meanwhile in Alexandria a mayor is to be elected on August 2 but no one qualified to run. Only one candidate qualified to run for alderman, Lloyd Dyer. Three full term alderman seats are to be filled along with two unexpired vacant alderman positions.

Although the qualifying deadline has passed for municipal and school board elections, there is still time to become a “write-in” candidate.

“In order for write-in ballots to be counted, a form must be filed no later than noon on the 50th day before the election with the local election commission office,” said Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley.

Five of the seven seats on the Board of Education will be filled in the DeKalb County General Election on Thursday, August 2 and only one of the races is contested.

In the 2nd district, Incumbent Jerry Wayne Johnson will be challenged for re-election by Thomas Alan Hayes.

Incumbents Danny Parkerson in the 1st district, Jim Beshearse in the 3rd district, Kate Miller in the 4th district, and Shaun Tubbs in the 7th district are unopposed for re-election. The terms are for four years.

Noon today (Thursday) was the qualifying deadline to run for the Board of Education.

The other two seats are held by W.J. (Dub) Evins, III in the 5th district and Doug Stephens in the 6th district. Their terms expire in 2020.

Although the qualifying deadline has passed for municipal and school board elections, there is still time to become a “write-in” candidate.

“In order for write-in ballots to be counted, a form must be filed no later than noon on the 50th day before the election with the local election commission office,” said Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley.

Two term incumbent Smithville Alderman Jason Murphy has had a change of heart and will not seek re-election to a third term in the Municipal Election on August 2nd.

The deadline to get in the race for Smithville Alderman or Mayor is noon Thursday, April 5.

Murphy, who had already qualified to run again, contacted the election commission Wednesday to formally withdraw from the race. He will remain on the town council until his current term is completed on August 31.

While he has enjoyed being alderman, Murphy said he needs to devote more time to his growing business, Optimus Pest Solutions. “ I feel honored to have served the citizens of Smithville for two terms (six years). It has been a wonderful experience,” said Murphy.

Murphy was first elected in 2012 when the terms were only for two years. He was re-elected to a four year term in 2014.

With Murphy’s departure from the race, only two candidates remain to fill the two alderman positions up for election in August. The remaining candidates are Incumbent alderman and local attorney Gayla Hendrix and political newcomer and local attorney Brandon Cox. Hendrix was first elected alderman in 2011 but was defeated for re-election in 2013 when the terms were for only two years. She rejoined the town council after successfully running again in 2014.

Meanwhile, three candidates are now in the race for Smithville Mayor on August 2nd.

Incumbent Mayor Jimmy Poss is seeking his third term. He has served six years. He was first elected to a two year term in 2012 and then to a four year term in 2014. His opponents are Curtis Rust and Incumbent Alderman Josh Miller who is in his second term, having served in that role since 2013. Because he is in midterm, Miller does not have to give up his alderman seat to run for mayor.

Again noon Thursday, April 5 is the qualifying deadline for candidates to run for mayor or alderman in the Smithville Municipal Election on Thursday, August 2.