The winner will serve on the BOC for two years, since county commissioners agreed earlier this year to stagger terms at the BOC table. Districts 2, 3 and 5 will each serve through 2010, while the chairman’s seat and districts 1 and 4 will each carry four-year terms.
Pethel garnered the most votes in the July 15 Republican primary but failed to top 50 percent in the three-man race. He took home 46.5 percent of the vote, while Fitzpatrick finished with 31.9 percent of the vote. Marion Cartwright finished with 21.6 percent.
Advanced voting for that race will be held through Friday, Aug. 1, in the county registrar’s office. That runoff is open to voters in District 2 precincts, including Collins, Harrison, Mill and Poca. District 2 voters who cast ballots in the Democratic primary are ineligible to vote in that race, but registered voters in the district who did not vote at all in the primaries can participate in the runoff.
A statewide runoff will also be held Aug. 5 with Democrats Vernon Jones and Jim Martin facing off in the U.S. Senate race, as both hope to face incumbent Saxby Chambliss in November. Local Democrats who want to cast an early ballot in that race can do so at the county registrar’s office next week.
No Democrats qualified for the BOC District 2 post, but two commission races will extend into November, with Democrat Melvin Drake challenging Republican Dewitt Bond in District 4 and Democrat Cathy Livesay facing Republican incumbent Bruce Scogin in District 5.
In other races, incumbent sheriff Clayton Lowe, a Democrat, will face Republican challenger Kip Thomas for the sheriff’ seat. Incumbent tax commissioner Louise Watson will run against Republican challenger Kathy Stamps. In non-partisan races, Joley Barber and Cody Cross will vie for the probate judge’s post, with long-time incumbent Donald “Hoppy” Royston retiring at the end of the year. Meanwhile, on the county school board, District 3 incumbent Leslie Neal will be challenged by Gary Cromer.
