Election 2016: Five qualified for Selma mayor’s race

Published 10:19 pm Friday, July 15, 2016

The 2016 municipal elections are just over a month away but the time left to qualify is running short. As of Friday afternoon, more than 40 candidates had qualified between the municipalities of Selma, Valley Grande and Orrville.

In Selma, five candidates have qualified for the position of mayor, including incumbent George Evans. State Rep. Darrio Melton, the Rev. James Perkins Jr., Councilman Greg Bjelke and Jerria Martin also have qualified for the mayoral election.

Tremayne Gorden and Lydia Chatmon have qualified to run for Selma City Council president. The following candidates have qualified in the other city council races: Carl Bowline and Uleter Nix in ward 1; Councilwoman Susan Keith and Christie Thomas in ward 2; Miah Tolbert-Jackson, Regina Woods, Frank Driskell and Brenda Smothers in ward 3; Councilwoman Angela Benjamin, Dowanda Pullom and Joyce Whitely in ward 4; Councilman Sam Randolph and Nadine Sturdivant in ward 5; Councilman Benny Tucker, Johnnie Leashore and Lydia Pettway in ward 6; Rotissa Jones, Jannie Thomas, Patricia Stewart, Debra Reeves-Howard, William Brown, the Rev. Jesse Shannon in ward 7; and Councilman Michael Johnson in ward 8.

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The Selma City Board of Education will also have spots on its board up for grabs in the election. Here are the qualifiers for those positions: Incumbent Henry Hicks Sr. and Johnny Moss III have qualified to run for school board chairman; incumbent Dr. Kirit Chapatwala and the Rev. Bailey Dawson Sr. in district 1; incumbent Brenda Obomanu and Jeffery Strong in district 2; Lola Sewell and Phyllis Houser in district 3; and incumbent Dr. Udo Ufomadu in district 4.

In Valley Grande, only two candidates have qualified, according to assistant city clerk Stephanie Motley. Tammy Proha has qualified to run for place four on the Valley Grande City Council and Mayor Wayne Labbe has qualified to run for his mayoral spot.

In Orrville, Elizabeth Kish is the only qualifier. Kish is running for a council seat in Orrville, according to mayor Louvenia Lumpkin.

Qualifying ends Tuesday, July 19. The election will be held Aug. 23.

If a run-off  election is needed, it’ll be held Oct. 4.