Only a few hours remain for potential candidates to ask their political parties to choose them as nominees for local offices.
Candidates for most offices must make their intentions known by Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 4 p.m. City and single-county office filing is done in the office of County Clerk Scottie Harper on West Third Street in Russellville. Those running for the multi-county offices of U.S. senator, U.S. congressman, state representative and district judge must do so in Frankfort, which is on Eastern Standard time.
For those who want to run for non-partisan offices in the three smaller incorporated cities in the county, school boards and members of conservation district boards, no primary is necessary and the filing deadline is not until Aug. 10.

Final voting for all offices will be held Tuesday, Nov. 2, the date of the general election.
The primary election to decide Republican and Democratic nominees for various offices will be held Tuesday, May 18. Independents can file after the primary.
One of the big questions yet to be answered is whether Tom Noe, who is in his 21st year as county attorney, will remain in the race to serve another four years. He is known to be considering withdrawing his candidacy, which may have helped prompt three other men to file for that position. A published report almost a week ago said Noe definitely is withdrawing, but as of Friday afternoon he had not done so. In fact, he was in the office of County Clerk Scottie Harper Friday, but did not take any action concerning the election.

Currently only seven of the 11 contested races will be subject to the primary election. That's because the candidates in the other three are from different parties or not enough candidates have filed for certain non-partisan races so far.
Three non-partisan races have competition, but are not yet subject to a primary. That situation exists for the offices of district judge and Russellville mayor, both with two candidates instead of the required three for a primary. They won't be on the ballot until November unless one or more additional candidates enter the race.
Russellville ordinances say that if no more than a dozen candidates seek the six city council seats, that race will be settled in November. Thirteen or more candidates would require the field be reduced to 12 in the May primary. So far 10 people are running for council.

The currently contested races which will be subject to the May primary:
1) Democrats opposing Tom Noe are Bob Hedges and Joe Ross while John Corey Morgan is also in the field as a Republican.
2) Multi-term incumbent jailer Bill Jenkins has two Democratic challengers, James 'Sonny' Duncan and James K. Penrod. Also in the race is Republican Donald Rust. If no one else files, Rust will go against the Democratic nominee in November.
3) Judge/Executive Logan Chick, who is a first-term incumbent, is being challenged by Russellville police chief Barry Dill. Both are Democrats
4) District 1 Magistrate Clem 'Dickie' Carter is being opposed by Russell Poore in the Democratic primary.
5) Long-time incumbent District 2 Magistrate Harold Prince faces opposition from fellow Democrat Jack Crossley.
6) Drexel W. Johnson and former magistrate Ranny Adler are running as Democrats for District 4 Magistrate. Republican Tim Norris is also in the race. Incumbent Lloyd Houchens has said he won't seek another term.
7) Running for District 4 Constable are Leonard Dye and Dwight 'Butch' Inman

Contested races not currently requiring a primary:
8) District Judge: incumbent Sue Carol Browning and Ken Williams
9) Russellville Mayor: current councilman Doug Nash and former councilman Mark Stratton
10) Russellville Council: Incumbents Pat Walpole Bell, Jack Whipple, Jimmy Davenport and Lanny McPherson along with challengers Joe Laird, former mayor Shirlee Yassney, Bill Decker, Ashley Bland, Douglas Daech and Neil Kerr
11) Incumbent State Representative Martha Jane King is a Democrat. Larry Noe has filed as a Republican, for the seat which includes Logan and Todd counties.

Running unopposed so far are these incumbents:
Property Valuation Administrator Ben Brown (and he will remain unopposed, since no one took the examination required to run for the office)
Sheriff Wallace Whittaker
County Clerk Scottie Harper
Coroner Mary Givens
Third District Magistrate Curtis Watkins
Fifth District Magistrate Jo Orange
Sixth District Magistrate Thomas Bouldin
Sixth District Constable Michael Weldon
District 1 Constable Sonny Vanderpool
District 2 Constable Walter McIntosh
District 3 Constable Doris Gregory
District 5 Constable Randy Rust

The offices of circuit judge, commonwealth attorney and circuit clerk have terms longer than four years and are not subject to election this year.

The deadline to register to vote in the primary election is Monday, April 19 in the county clerk's office.