As the deadline nears to file for non-partisan races in the upcoming November general election, filing for the handful of local offices that will be on the ballot picked up last week. The deadline to file was Tuesday, August 9 at 4 p.m. (too late for press deadline.)

As of the end of the business day last Friday, August 5, five additional candidates had joined three races up for election this year, one each for school board and a Soil Conservation District seat, and three for Albany City Council.

Those who filed last week included Jeff Sams, incumbent school board member in District Two, which includes the Seventy-Six and Cave Springs precinct and Kathy Conner filed for a seat on the Soil Conservation board.

Three candidates, all incumbents, filed for re-election to the Albany City Council, including Steve Lawson, Tony Delk and Frankie Stockton.

The new candidates bring the total number of local non-partisan hopefuls to 13, with three of those seeking Soil Conservation District board seats.

Of the 10 other candidates, eight are incumbents. Also, there were only five total people seeking the six seats that make up the city council and only one candidate each filed, both incumbents, in school districts two and three. District three encompasses the precincts of Highway, Illwill and Speck.

There are three total candidates in District Four, including the incumbent and two newcomers. That district is comprised of the North, East and West Albany areas.

A final listing and totals of all local non-partisan candidates will be published in next week’s Clinton County News.