Primary elections to be held Tuesday

Published 9:21 pm Friday, February 28, 2020

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The primary elections are on Tuesday, and although there are no county races, there are several races that directly impact the county.

The race with the most direct representation of Pike County will be the race for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District.

There are seven Republican candidates competing to represent Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District in the House of Representatives after six-term incumbent Martha Roby announced that she would not seek reelection. The candidates are Thomas W. Brown Jr., Jeff Coleman, Terri Hasdorff, Troy King, Barry Moore, Bob Rogers and Jessica Taylor. All seven candidates attended the January meeting of the Pike County Republican Women and shared their platforms.

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Two Democratic candidates will vie to earn the Democratic nomination for the seat: Phyliss Harvey-Hall and Nathan Mathis. Both candidates are expected to be at the Feb. 15 meeting of the Pike County Democrats at Trojan Center Room 119. The meeting will begin at 10:30 a.m.

There are seven candidates running to challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Doug Jones for his seat. The candidates are Stanley Adair, Bradley Byrne, Arnold Mooney, Roy Moore, Ruth Page Nelson, Jeff Sessions and Tommy Tubberville. Session formerly held the seat before being appointed by Trump as U.S. attorney general. The vacancy created a special election in which Jones eventually beat out Moore for the seat.

Although Donald Trump is expected to be the Republican nominee, Republican voters do have another name on the ballot in Bill Weld if they so choose.

Democrat voters will have many more options in the presidential spot on their ballots, with 14 candidates making the cut. The candidates are Michael Bennet, Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, John Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer, Elizabeth Warren, Marianne Williamson and Andrew Yang.

Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh and Robin Litaker are both seeking the Republican nomination for the seat of president on the Public Service Commission.

Laura Casey and Robert Mardis III are competing for the Democratic nomination for Public Service Commission president.

Greg Shaw and Cam Ward are both running to be the Republican nominee for associate justice of the Supreme Court, place no. 1.

Phillip Bahakel and Matt Friday will face off for the Republican nomination for Court of Civil Appeals, place no. 2.

Melvin Hasting and Mary Windom are running for the Republic nomination to the Court of Criminal Appeals judge, place no. 2.

Three candidates are seeking the Republican nomination to the Court of Criminal Appeals Judge, place no. 2 – Jill Ganus, Beth Kellum and Will Smith.

Presidential delegates will also be on the ballot.

Eight Democratic candidates are seeking nomination to the State Board of Education District 5. They are Fred Bell, Tonya Smith Chestnut, Ron Davis, Pamela Laffitte, Patrice “Penni” McClammy, Woodie Pugh Jr., Joanne Shum and Billie Jean Young.

A constitutional amendment will appear on both primary ballots, as well as on its own separate ballot for voters who choose to participate in neither part y primary.

The amendment proposes changing the board of Education from an elected board to an appointed commission.

The amendment specifically calls for changing the name of the State Board of Education to the Alabama Commission on Elementary and Secondary Education; to provide for appointment of the members of the commission by the governor, subject to senate confirmation; to change the name of the State Superintendent of Education to the Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education; to provide for the appointment of the secretary by the commission, subject to senate confirmation; and to authorize the governor to appoint a team of local educators and other officials to advise the commission on matters relating to the functioning and duties of the State Department of Education.

If necessary, a primary runoff will be held four weeks after the primary, a new shorter window to expedite the process.

Any voter who participates in either party’s primary election may only participate in the runoff election of the same party. Any voters who did not participate in either primary are welcome to vote in either party’s runoff, including voters who requested a ballot containing only the proposed constitutional amendment.

The primary elections will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3. A full list of precincts and polling places is available at the Pike County Board of Registrars.

There have been three changes to polling locations that voters need to be aware of – the Little Oak Grocery Store polling place has been changed to Scott Farm Supply, the polling place formerly at the Hastings Building in Brundidge has been moved to Brundidge Station, and the National Guard Armory polling place has been switched to the Collegedale Church of Christ.

Probate Judge Michael Bunn said these changes have been advertised and notification has already been sent through the mail to voters in these precincts making them aware of the change. Voters with questions about their precincts can contact the Pike County Board of Registrars at 334-566-1757.