First Runners In The Race To Election Year 2014

Friday, November 22, 2013, was the first day for potential candidates to pick up petitions for the local Primary Elections. Though some elected offices such as School Board, County Commission and Highway Commission are not party affiliated and will only be presented once, in August 2014, for vote, most elected local offices will run in the Primary that is held in May 2014 and again in the August 2014 election. State elected offices, along with those local offices that are not party affiliated, will have their Primary in August and General Election in November 2014. Jefferson County Administrator Charles Gibson stated that ten potential candidates picked up petitions on Friday.

Travis Adderhold-County Court Clerk

Daniel Estes-County Court Clerk

Ginger Franklin-Trustee

Michael Kearney-Sheriff

GW McCoig-Sheriff

Penny Ollis Murphy-Circuit Court Clerk

Alan Palmieri-County Mayor

Jason Randolph- General Sessions Judge

Jim Satterfield-County Mayor

Ed Stiner-Register of Deeds

Gibson said that he expects several other petitions to be picked up over the next few days and that petitions are not due until February for the May 2014 Primary and can be picked up right until the due date. He also cautioned that some potential candidates that pick up petitions do not return them and that picking up a petition does not assure that a candidate will be on the ballot. Conversely, some candidates have already turned in paperwork to allow for campaign spending, however have not, yet, picked up their petition. Following the last day to return petitions, candidates have a week to withdraw from the election without their name appearing on the ballot. Following that, a candidate’s name will remain on the ballot even if they withdraw from the election.

 According to Gibson, both the Democrat and Republican Parties have requested a Primary Election, which is necessary to host a party primary, as only the parties can call for a primary election. The Jefferson County Election Office is already in full swing, gearing up for a busy 2014 election cycle, however they keep their eye on holding down the high costs of hosting an election by tagging local elections, when possible, to State and National elections. The 2006 election was similar to the 2014 elections in that Judicial Offices, which are on a 6 year term, were on the ballot. 6,663 voters went to the polls in the 2006 Primary, however, Gibson has added roughly 4,000 voters in JeffersonCounty since that election. Numbers in the May 2012 election came in at 5,588 voters making it to the polls. Presidential election cycles far outnumber the Governor Election cycle and voting numbers have been consistent in Jefferson County for all but the Presidential election cycle.