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The 2022 election is quite a way down the road, but two Pike County candidates have already hit the campaign trail.

The biggest political announcement in Pike County came from freshman State Rep. Wes Allen. Allen will vacate his seat in the Alabama House to make a run for the Alabama Secretary of State’s office. Allen was appointed as Pike County’s probate judge in 2009 and was elected to a full term in 2012. Allen ran for the Alabama House of Representatives in 2018 and won, replacing Alan Boothe, who retired from the House.

A week after Allen launched his campaign for the secretary of state’s office, Troy City Council President Marcus Paramore announced he was tossing his hat in the state political area and would seek Allen’s vacated seat for Alabama House District 89, which serves Pike County and a portion of Dale County. Paramore has served three terms on the Troy City Council, two of the terms as president.

The final day for candidates to qualify for the Republican or Democrat primary is Jan. 28, 2022, at 5 p.m.