Clinton County Clerk Jim Elmore, left, passed the basket containing numbers that determined ballot positions for the candidates seeking seats on the Albany City Council. Drawing a number in the photo above is Tony Delk, while Leland Hicks waits his turn to draw for ballot position.

In Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008 issue

When the deadline to file as a candidate for local and all other non-partisan type races came to a close at 4 p.m. last Tuesday, August 12, one additional candidate had filed in the County Clerk’s Office since the previous day.

The last person to file for a local office was Raymond L. Shelton, who filed for a seat on the Albany City Council. Shelton is a former member of the city’s governing body and also a former city police chief and Clinton County Sheriff.

A total of 17 local names will be on the November ballot, with four of those being for seats on the Clinton County Soil Conservation District.

A total of ten persons--including five incumbents--are running to fill the six seats that make up the Albany City Council. The only incumbent who did not file for re-election was first term councilman David Beasley.

Eight of the total candidates are either current or past council members. Incumbents include Leland Hicks, James Bray, Frankie Stockton, James “Smitty” Smith and Tony Delk. Past council members include Shelton, Jeanette Flowers Diamond and Doug Thrasher. There are two persons who are running for the first time, including Steve Lawson and Gary P. Huddleston.

The makeup of the Clinton County Board of Education will, in all, probability change considerably next January as the result of filing for three seats on the board this November.

Two of the three incumbents did not file for re-election, meaning there will be two new board members and apparently three of the five Board of Education members will be women--likely a first ever for the Board of Education in Clinton County--following this year’s general election.

Current Board Chairman Ned Davis was the only board member up for election this year that did file in District Two.

Long-time board member Junior Elmore chose not to seek another term and Paula Key was the only person to file for the District Three seat.

Wayne Hughes, another incumbent member who has served on the board the past few years, also didn’t file in District Four, with Junior Cecil being the only candidate on the ballot. All three board candidates are running without opposition on the machine ballot this fall.

Four persons had earlier filed for seats on the SCDB, including Greg Abston, Morris Smith, Roger Beard and Kenny Mims.

Another regional race that will appear on the local ballot along with federal and local races is that of a Supreme Court Justice race in the 3rd Appellate District. The seat was left vacant in late June by the retirement of Chief Justice Joseph E. Lambert.

Recently, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear appointed a Pulaski County judge, Daniel Venters, to fill the seat until after the November election, at which time a justice will be elected to fill out the remaining two years on Lambert’s term.

The 3rd Appellate District is comprised of some 27 southern Kentucky counties, including Clinton and surrounding counties.

Three judges’ names had been sent to the governor for consideration by a Judicial Nominating Commission, including Clinton Circuit Judge Eddie C. Lovelace of Albany as well as R.W. Dyche III of London.

Judge Lovelace had considered running for the Supreme Court judgeship but elected not to file.

The only candidates listed as having filed in the Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office for the judgeship was Venters and Leonard H. Brashear of Hyden.

The primary race of the 2008 November ballot will be that for President of the United States, with mainstream party hopefuls Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, the Democrat nominee, taking on long-time GOP Senator John McCain of Arizona. A few other ‘smaller’ party and/or independent candidates will also be on the ballot in Kentucky this fall.

Two other federal races on the ballot will include a U.S. Senate race between long-time incumbent and current Minority Leader in the Senate, Republican Mitch McConnell and Democrat businessman Bruce Lunsford. Both are from Louisville.

First District U.S. Representative, Congressman Ed Whitfield, a Republican from Hopkinsville is opposed by Democrat Heather A. Ryan of Paducah.

Any non-registered persons who wish to be eligible to vote in the upcoming general election must register at the County Clerk’s Office no later than October 6, as registration books will close on Oct. 7 and will not reopen until November 10, or one week after the election.

Drawing for position on the ballot for local candidates was held last Thursday afternoon, August 14. The candidates for Albany City Council will appear on the ballot in November in the following order: Steve Lawson, Jeanette Flowers Diamond, Frankie J. Stockton, James F. Bray, Raymond L. Shelton, Tony Delk, James “Smitty” Smith, Doug Thrasher, Gary Huddleston, Leland Hicks. Soil and Water Conservation District: James Gregory Abston, Kenny Mims, Morris Smith, Roger Beard.

Again, perspective voters who are not registered and wish to vote in the upcoming November 4 general election must register by October 7 to be eligible to cast ballots this year. Registration books close Oct. 7 and reopen the Monday following the election, November 10.