with one week left to qualify

By BETH LAKEY

Staff Writer

March 29, 2000 11 PM

With just over a week left to qualify, some candidates are running unopposed.

This year several Pike County offices are up for election, as are the circuit clerk position, Circuit Judge Place 1 and district judge.

As of Wedesday, three incumbents on the Pike County Commission may have no competition in regaining those seats. Commissioners Willie Thomas, Larry Meeks and Karen Berry are those three.

Thomas, who represents District 1, is a Democrat. Berry, also a Democrat, respresents constituents in District 6. Meeks, a Republican, is the commissioner for District 2.

Another incumbent with no opposition is Probate Judge Bill Stone, a Democrat.

But, other candidates are not so lucky.

Republicans Larry Penn, the incumbent, and Jimmy Barron are vying for the Republican nomination for the commission seat representing district 3. Former county commissioner Sherrill Calhoun, a Democrat, is also running for that seat.

Incumbent Ray Goodson has opposition in the Democratic Primary from Terry Sneed, who wants to serve as the district 4 commissioner.

Democrats Charlie Harris, the incumbent, and Jake Wingard are both running for the district 5 commission slot.

According to records filed in the Pike County Probate Office, nobody has qualified for the two Pike County Board of Education seats up for election this year.

Scott Flowers, a Republican, has qualified to run for constable in Precinct 6.

Candidates for judge of the 12th Judicial Circuit, Place 1, circuit clerk and district judge qualifies with the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office.

According to the Secretary of State’s office, Democrat Thomas Head of Elba has qualified for the circuit judgeship and incumbent Brenda Peacock is running for re-election as circuit clerk.

Qualifying for the June Republican and Democratic Primaries ends at Apr. 7 at 5 p.m.

Those planning to run for the county commission, must be 18 years old, be a United States citizen and state resident for one day and be a registered voter.

Those same stipulations are required of candidates for circuit clerk.

Qualifications for the county board of education are the same, including that the candidate must be a resident of the county in which he or she plans to represent one year prior to the election.

For the judges, requirements are a bit more strict.

A candidate for the judge’s bench must have resided in the circuit for one year prior to election. According to the minimum requirements for public office overseen by the Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s office, circuit judges can not be elected or appointed after the age of 70.

Anyone wishing to serve as a district or circuit judge must be licensed to practice law in Alabama.

County candidates must also pay a $50 qualifying fee.