Three sitting aldermen still have yet to declare theirintentions with a little over a month left to go in municipalelections qualifications.

City Clerk Mike Jinks said Democrats Ward Two Alderman TerryBates and Ward Five Alderman D.W. Maxwell and Independent Ward SixAlderman David Phillips have yet to turn in their papers in theupcoming city election.

“We have three aldermen who have not qualified yet,” Jinks said,indicating that Phillips had picked up papers to run again as anIndependent. “The other two may have picked them up and I justdon’t know at this point. I can’t speak for that.”

Meanwhile, Ward Four saw some action last week as candidatesjockeyed for position.

Asem Zeini, a Republican, threw his hat in the ring and willface Republican incumbent Shirley Estes in the primary. DavidSmith, who previously qualified as a Democrat, withdrew hiscandidacy and then re-qualified as an Independent.

Jinks said it’s hard to tell at this point in qualifying if anyother candidates could be expected to jump into the fray in any ofthe city’s major elections. He said it’s hard to read the situationbecause of the aldermen who have not qualified yet, but alsobecause of the fact that incumbent Mayor Bob Massengill is notrunning for re-election.

“I’ve got no idea, because since I’ve been here, we’ve not had atime where the mayor just didn’t run. He’s run before and beenbeat, but never just didn’t run,” he said.

Other election qualifiers to date include:

Mayor: The Rev. Jerry Wilson, D, and Alderman at Large LesBumgarner, I

City Clerk: Jinks, D

Police Chief: Incumbent Arlustra “Pap” Henderson, D

Alderman At Large: L. Ralph Smith, D, Terry Pappas, R, and KarenSullivan, I

Ward One Alderman: Incumbent Dorsey Cameron and Elisa Corley,both Democrats

Ward Two Alderman: Idella Sanders, D

Ward Three Alderman: Incumbent Mary Wilson, D, and Brian Moore,R

Ward Five Alderman: Fletcher Grice, R

Ward Six Alderman: Robert Kenny, D

The qualifying deadline is Friday, March 6, with the primaryelections to take place May 5. The general election will be heldJune 2.