Early voting for the DeKalb County Democratic Primary gets underway today, a number of office races being impacted by the election.

Early voting will be offered downstairs at the DeKalb County Courthouse in Smithville from Aug. 11 to Aug. 26. Early voting hours include Mondays from 1 to 5 p.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursdays from 2 to 6 p.m., Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Those coming to early vote are asked to bring their voter registration card as well as a photo identification. Those who do not exercise their option to vote early may cast their ballots on May 1 at their local precincts. The primary is open meaning anyone may request to vote in the Democratic Primary.

In the race for Circuit Court Clerk, to fill the seat held since 2002 by retiring clerk Katherine Pack, Mark Milam will take on Nicole Wright, the winner to advance to August to take on Republican nominee Susan Martin. The Republican Party caucused and has already selected its candidates for office therefore the local GOP is not having a public primary this May. Milam has served as fifth-district constable for over 25 years while Wright works for Pack in the clerk’s office.

The primary for the office of county mayor is a three-way race between experienced candidates as incumbent Tim Stribling is being challenged by two-term incumbent third-district commissioner Bradley Hendrix and former three-term county mayor Mike Foster. The winner will take on Independent Randy Paris in the August general election.

The county commission races will also be impacted by the primary. In the second district, three candidates are running for two nomination spots. They are Nora Harvey, incumbent Joe N. Johnson and Myron Rhody. The two winners will take on Republican Sabrina Fowler in August.
The third district also has three hopefuls with incumbent Jack Barton, Bobby G. Johnson and Jenny Trapp seeking the two nominations. Renee Steff is waiting in the wings as the Republican nominee.

The fourth has a number of Democratic hopefuls with incumbent Wayne Cantrell, Janice Fish Stewart, Dr. Scott Little, incumbent Jonathan Norris and Bobby R. Taylor, vying for the two spots. Gregory S. Matthews is running as a Republican in the fourth.

The Seventh District will also have a contested primary as Beth Pafford, incumbent Kevin Robinson and incumbent Larry Summers are asking for the nominations. Bruce Malone will join the winners in August as the Republican nominee. The remainder of candidates running for commission will advance to August without opposition.

Sheriff’s candidate Michael Agee and Road Superintendent Jimmy Sprague will advance without opposition. Agee will face Republican incumbent Sheriff Patrick Ray in August, while Sprague will take on Danny L. Hale who got the Republican nomination. Getting a bye this year and returning to office without opposition will be Register of Deeds Jeff McMillen, County Clerk James (Jim) Poss and Trustee Sean Driver who is running as a Republican.