Qualify period opens with six candidates

Published 6:00 am Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Six local men and women are now officially candidates for theupcoming city elections after the first day of qualifying onMonday.

Late Monday afternoon, Deputy City Clerk Marsha Fairman said sixDemocratic candidates have qualified for the offices of alderman,police chief, city clerk and mayor.

City Clerk Mike Jinks said the day was just about what hethought the first day of qualifying would be like as far asnumbers, but that he expects it to be a larger candidate pool thatwill apply before the final deadline of March 6.

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“It’s what I expected, I think it was just an average firstday,” he said. “It hasn’t happened since I’ve been here that themayor wasn’t running, and that’s going to generate moreactivity.”

Fairman said three of the qualifiers are incumbent. They includeJinks and Police Chief Pap Henderson in citywide races and WardThree Alderwoman Mary Wilson among ward contests.

She said District One Supervisor the Rev. Jerry Wilson qualifiedto run for mayor. Current Mayor Bob Massengill has announced thathe will not seek a second term in the office.

Elisa Corley, a Democrat from Ward One, and Roosevelt Collins, aDemocrat from Ward Three, have also announced their candidacies foralderman of their respective areas.

Jinks said he expects the qualifying to be heavy at thebeginning of qualifying and at the end.

“There’s no way of knowing for sure, but I think generallyyou’ll see right at the beginning a good many, then it may besporadic between the first couple of weeks and the last week orso,” he said. “I won’t say you have a flurry at the end, but therecould possibly be one or two that will wait until the last minute.The majority of people who are going to run will qualifyearly.”

Party primaries are scheduled for May 5, with the generalelection falling on June 2.