Last week’s withdrawal deadline for next year’s Shelby County elections simplified the issue(s) seriously.
The most dramatic consequence occurred in the race for District Attorney General, as Carol Chumney’s two opponents in the Democratic primary — Glen Wright and Linda Nettles Harris — were prevailed upon to drop out, giving former legislator/City Council member Chumney a bye on the March 6 primary and time to prepare a one-on-one race in the August 2 general election against Republican incumbent Amy Weirich, who has no primary opposition.
Some winnowing down happened also in other races. The field thinned out in the Democratic primary for General Sessions Court Clerk when Shelby County Commissioner Henri Brooks withdrew and candidate Karen Woodward was disqualified by the Election Commission, which adjudged her qualifying petition to have been turned in late.
That creates a four-person primary between suspended incumbent Otis Jackson, who has been indicted for official misconduct in pressuring his employees for campaign activity; interim clerk Ed Stanton Jr.; Shelby County Commission chair Sidney Chism; and Marion Brewer.
Rick Rout, son of former Shelby County Mayor Jim Rout, and James Finney are vying for the Republican nomination for the clerk’s job.
In the race for Assessor, Democratic incumbent Cheyenne Johnson will have to face only realtor and frequent candidate Steve Webster in her primary, as another repeat contender, Charlotte Draper, was disallowed from the primary ballot by the county Election Commission after local Democratic Party officials formally denied her bona fides as a Democrat. (The action was a holdover consequence from Draper’s involvement with an unofficial party organization in a prior election.)
The three-way Republican primary for Assessor remains intact with John Bogan, Randy Lawson, and Tim Walton all running.
Finally, there was no change in the ballot for Shelby County Commission District 1, Position 3, as Republicans Marilyn Loeffel, a former commissioner, and newcomer Steve Basar fight it out in the GOP primary, and blogger/A-V technician Steve Ross remains the only Democrat in his primary.
