Multiple contested races in upcoming May election
By Melinda L. Lucas
There was a flurry of applicants filing for the Shackelford County Hospital Board before last week’s deadline, with a total of seven names to be on the ballot – six for the three two-year positions and one for an unexpired term.
There also ended up being four candidates for the Moran ISD board of trustees, with two seats available.
The Albany school board and the Albany city council already had contested races before last week, so that means that four out the six local entities located within the county will hold elections on May 3, with the other two either already cancelling or planning to cancel elections because there were no contested races.
The filing period for each of the local races ended Friday, Feb. 14, with Albany ISD, Moran ISD, Albany City Council, and Shackelford County Hospital Board all drawing more candidates than terms expiring this year.
The early voting period for local elections is April 22-29, with the election on Saturday, May 3.
The governing bodies without contested elections this year include the Moran city council and the Fort Griffin SUD Board.
Candidates had until Tuesday, Feb. 18 to file as write-in candidates, but there were no additions to those who turned in their paperwork by the Feb. 14 deadline to be on the ballot.
Final candidate counts are as follows:
Hospital Board
Declaring their candidacy on Friday for the Shackelford County Hospital board were incumbent Jo Ann Estridge, and newcomers Jed Cottle, and Aaron Frohn. Others had completed their paperwork earlier in the filing period are Ami Davis, Karin Cox, and Anita Jackson. A seventh applicant did not have enough signatures on the form.
All seven of those candidates will vie for three two-year terms, with the top three vote-getters winning the seats.
Incumbent Mike Folsom, whose term is also up this spring along with Estridge’s, was the sole applicant for the unexpired term, left vacant by Michelle Alexander’s resignation last month.
Moran School Board
Also coming in late to the party were candidates Chris Leonard and Jason Price, joining incumbents Alice Branham and Sam Snyder for two three-year terms on the Moran ISD board.
The two candidates who get the most votes will win the two at-large seats.
Albany School Board
Teagan Brown and John Gallagher filed for Place 7 on the Albany ISD’s board of trustees.
Incumbents Matt Bellah in Place 5 and Joe Tidwell in Place 6 turned in their paperwork.
Albany City Council
Henry Garcia, along with incumbents Don Taggart and Lynsi Musselman, filed for two positions. The top two candidates receiving the most votes will win the positions in the at-large election.
Susan Montgomery is the only candidate for the mayor’s position.
Moran City Council
The City of Moran is expected to cancel its election, with no contested races.
Mayor Tyler George filed for re-election. Patricia Martin filed for the one-year unexpired seat left vacant by Dora Leonard, and newcomer Phillip Huskey joined incumbent Tyler Kinman in filing for the two two-year terms. The other incumbent, Christal Herrell, chose not to run for reelection.
Fort Griffin SUD
Incumbent Mike Bartock and Trent Tankersley signed up for the two three-year terms expiring this year for the Fort Griffin Special Utilities District board.
Carrie Holson at the SUD office said that the special district will cancel its election at the board’s next meeting.
