Filing ends with 1 contested race

By Melinda L. Lucas

The filing period for the March primary elections ended Monday evening with one local contested race after Bobby Williams submitted an application and petition on Monday morning for the office of Precinct 1 commissioner.

Incumbent commissioner Steve Riley, who has been elected for the past two four-year terms, filed in mid-November.

Williams, who filed his campaign treasurer’s form on Dec. 2, brought his completed petition to Republican county chair Lynne Teinert on Monday, Dec. 9 in lieu of a filing fee. The signatures had been verified by the voters registration office by noon that day, according to county clerk Cheri Hawkins.

The Precinct 1 candidates will be the only local contested race on the Republican ballot in March 2020.

The filing period began Nov. 9 and ended a month later on Dec. 9.

Other Candidates

Other local candidates, all unopposed, include Ed Miller, who paid his fee for reelection as Shackelford County Sheriff, and Lanham Martin, who filed by petition to run again for his current commissioner’s post in Precinct 3.

Rollin Rauschl turned in a petition for the county attorney’s office. Current longtime county attorney Colton Johnson officially announced in November that he did not plan to run for another term.

None of the Shackelford County races drew a Democratic challenger, which means the winner of the Republican Primary, set for March 3, will take the position unless a write-in candidate enters that particular race.