By Scott Harvey
Commerce – Another week remains for write-in candidates to file, but the field appears to be set for the May 9 election.
For the City of Commerce, two additional candidates filed yesterday before the filing deadline bringing the candidate total to five for just two races.
Tommy Hall and incumbent Tony Henry were the only individuals to file for Place 1, while incumbent Richard Hill and Deryck Gorman joined David Hitt Monday as candidates for Council Place 3.
Write-in candidates have until next Monday to seek a spot on the May 9 ballot. Early voting is scheduled between April 27 and May 5.
In Greenville, it appears there will be only one race for one of three spots open on the city council.
Mayor Tom Oliver and Place 5 Council member Bryan Herrin drew no opposition in their efforts at seeking re-election prior to Monday evening's deadline.
Incumbent Place 6 Council member Betty Franklin will face Mike Smith, who filed last week, for the seat.
Should no one else file by way of a write-in, the council will have the authority to declare Oliver and Herrin the winners by acclamation and cancel those contests.
In Sulphur Springs, Incumbent City Councilman Clay Walker signed up for re-election to his Place 2 seat Monday afternoon with less than an hour left in the filing period.
Another candidate, Jordan Horne, also emerged for the Place 1 seat currently held by Garry Jordan. Horne became the third person to file candidacy in the race, joining the incumbent and Craig Johnson, a Sulphur Springs native and owner of Kramerica Outdoor Advertising.
Like Walker, Horne filed for candidacy in the waning hours of the sign-up period.
Later this week, KETR will bring you the candidates for other area council and school board elections as we receive them.