The deadline to file for non-partisan races in Albany and Clinton County for the upcoming November general election is now literally just days away. The deadline to file papers declaring candidacy is next Tuesday, August 14 at 4 p.m. local time.

Through Tuesday morning, August 7, still only a handful of “non-political” party candidates had filed for seats that will be on the non-partisan race ballot.

Since last report, eight additional candidates had officially filed, including one new candidate for Albany Mayor.

David Cross, an Albany attorney in, filed his candidacy papers Tuesday, making that race at press time, a three-candidate race.

Current Mayor Nicky Smith has indicated he will not be seeking re-election this year and four incumbent council members had yet to file as of the end of last week.

Three of those candidates filing last week are for seats on the Clinton County Soil Conservation District Board. Those were Tommy Guffey, Kenny Mims and Steve Young.

Three candidates filed for a seat on the Albany City Council, those being incumbent Tonya Thrasher and two who would be seeking first-time positions as Albany City Council members, Clyde Stearns and Reed Sloan.

Also last week, another incumbent member of the Clinton County School Board, Goldie Stonecipher, filed her candidacy papers for relection to her board seat representing the 5th school board district.

In the race for city council, in which all six seats will be up for election, only six total candidates had filed as of the end of last week, four of those being newcomers to the city council races. Only two of six current incumbents had filed through August 7.

A complete listing of all non-partisan candidates, along with other election related information for the upcoming fall election, will be published in a later issue of the Clinton County News.