While candidates across the area will continue to try and persuade those still undecided voters they are the best candidate for the job, the voters will make up their minds and choose the winners and losers on election day, next Tuesday, November 4, at the ballot box.

With this general election being an even-year and a local election, turnout at the polls in Albany and Clinton County next week is expected to be high as a variety of seats–at the local, state, federal and judicial levels, will be decided.

As normal in an election cycle, local races that appear on the ballot tend to draw the most interest. However, this year there are some other races that are expected to get a lot of people to the voting booths as well, including a hotly contested U.S. Senate race and 40th Circuit Court Judge’s race.

The U.S. Senate race, which polls indicate will go down to the wire, has incumbent Republican and current U.S. Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell going up against Democrat challenger and current Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.

(For a recap of the October 12 debate televised on KET between McConnell and Grimes, see a separate article appearing on page 1)

The race of Circuit Court Judge in the 40th District of Clinton, Cumberland and Monroe counties features a current and former judge, both from Cumberland County, seeking that seat.

Incumbent Judge David L. Williams, former State Senate President, is filling out the unexpired term of the late Eddie C. Lovelace of Albany and is seeking to be elected to the next full term of the office .

His opponent, Steve Hurt, is a former district court judge from Burkesville.

The local election in 2014 will feature a few less contested races as several county-wide and district-wide officials are unopposed this fall.

Races that are contested include those of Clinton County Judge/Executive, where GOP newcomer Richard Armstrong, who won the nomination over three opponents in May, including the incumbent Judge/Executive, is running against Democrat challenger and former two-term judge/executive Charlene King, who defeated two challengers in the May primary.

The race for Clinton County Sheriff will feature two familiar faces with Jim Guffey, a current Albany Police Department officer, being the Republican nominee after defeating three challengers in May including the incumbent, and Democrat candidate Raymond L. Shelton, who ran unopposed in the primary. Shelton served one term as sheriff in the late 1970s and early 80s, has been Albany Police Chief, and served on the Albany City Council.

In the race for County Court Clerk, Republican incumbent Shelia Booher, a long-term deputy clerk, is seeking the office for the first time after having been appointed to fill out the unexpired term of long-time clerk Jim Elmore who retired last year. She defeated one opponent in May and is being challenged by Democrat newcomer Dan Thomas, who is making his first run for a political office.

In the race for Clinton County Jailer, with the winner to take the place of long-time Jailer Gene Ferrill who did not run for re-election, current Deputy Jailer Johnny Thrasher is the Republican nominee after defeating six other candidates in the spring.

Thrasher’s opponent next week is Democrat Keith Dalton, who was formerly an unsuccessful candidate for judge-executive four years ago and is making his first run for jailer. Dalton was unopposed in the May primary.

Several local, state and judicial officials were unopposed in the primary and general election and will be reseated in January 2015.

Unopposed candidates include PVA (Property Valuation Administrator) Pat Campbell; Coroner Steve Talbott; County Attorney Michael Rains; State Representative Jeff Hoover and State Senator Max Wise, all Republicans. Also unopposed were both 40th Judicial District Judges, Mike Lawson and Scarlett Latham, both of Albany. They represent Clinton, Wayne and Russell counties.

Several district-wide candidates are also unopposed in November, including both incumbent school board members that are on the ballot, Kevin Marcum in District One and Goldie Stonecipher in District Five. Also, only one of the six magistrates that make up the Clinton County Fiscal Court will have opposition. Second District GOP incumbent Patty Guinn is being challenged by Democrat nominee Matt Smith. All other magistrates, including Johnny Russell (District One); Terry Buster (District Three); Ricky Craig (District Four); Hershell Key (District Five) and Mickey Riddle (District Six) are unopposed with Key having no opposition in either primary or general election.

The same holds true in races for the six Constables, as only one contested race will be on that ballot, that in District Three, where Republican Rick Stearns is opposed by Democrat Gary Rex Guffey. All other Republican constable candidates are unopposed, including Andy Butler in District One; David (Sidewinder) Cross in District Two; Ronnie Thrasher in District Four; Jerry Craig in District Five and Gilbert Daniels in District Six. Both Daniels and Cross were also unopposed in May.

Voters in the City of Albany will also elect their Mayor and six members that will make up the Albany City Council in the two precincts, all of which serve on a non-partisan basis. The mayor’s term is four years while council members serve two-year terms.

In the Mayor’s race, two-term incumbent Nicky Smith is being challenged by current Assistant Albany Police Chief Lyle Pierce, who is making his second run for that office.

There are a total of 10 candidates in the race for city council, with the top six persons receiving the most votes being seated. That field will include all six incumbents, Tony Delk, Steve Lawson, James “Smitty” Smith, Frankie Stockton, Tonya Thrasher and Leland Hicks and four non-incumbents, Brad Thrasher, Joyce Brown Martin, Lyle Norris and Jared Parrigin.

If the aforementioned races that will be on the ballot isn’t enough, there is also the race of U.S. House of Representatives (Congress) where long-time Republican incumbent Ed Whitfield in being challenged by Democrat opponent Charles Kendall Hatchett.

Finally, two Court of Appeals judge seats for the Third Appellate Court will be on the ballot in Division’s One and Two. These are also non-partisan races. In Division One, the candidates are Michael Caperton and Debra Hembree Lambert and in Division Two, James H. Lambert and Paul F. Henderson.

In the November election, 7,468 residents will be registered to vote, this is down 89 voters from the 7,557 that were on the rolls for the May primary.

A total of approximately 56 percent of those registered in the spring in Clinton County took time to vote and that percentage is expected to be at least as high, if not higher, for next week’s election.

Of the total number of registered voters in the county, 6,041 are Republican, only 1,310 are Democrats and 117 are registered as follows: other, 71; Independent, 42; Libertarian, three and Reform Party, one.

As is the norm in Clinton County, female voters outnumber their male counterparts when it comes to voter registration as 3,863 women are voters while 3,606 registered voters are men.

A complete listing of candidates for each race, broken down by district, as well as voting precinct locations and precinct election officers for the November general election can be found elsewhere in this week’s Clinton County News.

Remember, voting is a privilege, not a right. Don’t forget to vote next Tuesday, November 4 between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.

(A complete wrap-up of Clinton County’s election results will appear in next week’s edition.)