Qualifying for the 2018 election ended on Friday, Feb. 9 with a number of candidates qualifying for offices at the county level.

The 2018 primary election will be June 5, if needed a primary runoff will be held July 17, and the general election will be held Nov. 6.

All candidates qualified as Democrats.

In Marengo County, three candidates are seeking the office of sheriff. Incumbent Richard Bates is seeking re-election and he will be challenged by Clint Sumlin and James Rick Jones.

For Marengo County Commission, Dist. 1 incum-

bent Fred Armstead will not face a challenger.

In Dist. 3, incumbent John Crawford Jr. will be challenged by Terry Hinton Sr.

Four candidates will be seeking the Dist. 5 seat on the commission, including incumbent Michael Thompson. Challengers will be Pettis Lockett, Mark Davis, and Thomas Rodgers.

Several incumbents will not be challenged, including Marengo County School Board members Freddie Charleston and Mike McAlpine. Marengo County Probate Judge Laurie Hall will also be sworn back into office without a challenge as will County Coroner John Scott, who was appointed to that seat in 2017.

(This article originally appeared in the Saturday, February 17 issue of the Demopolis Times.)