Dateline: March 12, 2009
Four
boards to hold contested elections in May
By Roger Estlack, Clarendon
Enterprise
Four
local governments will hold elections this May following the last day of
filing for office Monday.
Two
candidates have emerged to run for mayor of Clarendon. Incumbent Chris
Ford filed for re-election, and Alderman Tommy Hill also is running for
the city’s top spot.
On
the Board of Aldermen, a four-way race for two seats has developed.
Alderman Terry Noble withdrew his earlier candidacy for mayor and re-filed
to run for the board. Alderman Ann Huey is also seeking re-election. Nobel
and Huey are being challenged by Larry Hicks and Jeff King.
The
City of Howardwick has only one candidate for mayor, Dell Essary, but drew
three candidates for two positions on the Board of Aldermen. Incumbent
Gene Rogers will be joined on the ballot by Norm Haygood and Louise
Popplewell.
Five
candidates will vie for two positions on the Hedley School Board, and none
of them are incumbents. Travis Thomas, Shelby Shipp, Carole Ward, Gwynne
Howard, and Lana Wright have all filed to run for the Board of Trustees.
Two
positions on the Board of the Donley County Hospital District will be
contested, and a third is uncontested. Billy Ray Johnston and Jennie Owens
are running for the Place One position, and Tammy Owen and Bright Newhouse
III are running for Place Two. Those positions are currently held by Don
Thornberry and Alan Fletcher, neither of whom is running for re-election.
Incumbent Melinda McAnear is the only candidate for Place Three on the
hospital board.
Two
other local governments did not draw enough candidates to have contested
races and will likely cancel their elections this year if no write-in
candidates emerge.
Clarendon
ISD had two positions up on its Board of Trustees, and only Wes Hatley and
incumbent Wayne Hardin filed to run.
The
City of Hedley had three positions open on the Board of Aldermen, and all
three incumbents – Bruce Howard, Travis Ruthardt, and Colleen Owens –
filed for re-election.