Who’s taking on who in the local elections

With the deadline to file for local offices passing Friday, the races for May 19’s primary election have come into focus. Here’s a quick rundown of the races. We’ll begin to dig into the elections with more details in the coming weeks and months.

• Three people are running for Henderson County Judge-Executive on the Republican side. Incumbent Brad Schneider will square off against Randall Green and Timothy Dunn. On the Democrat side, Les Jenkins-Mackey faces Lisa Meyer Thompson.
• In the race for Henderson mayor, incumbent Brad Staton will face Cindy Weaver. Because there are just two candidates in the race, there will not be a primary. Both will be on the general election ballot on Nov. 3. Henderson mayor is non-partisan.
• All current magistrates have filed for re-election, and all will face opposition.
• In District 1, incumbent Keith Berry, a Republican, will face Republican J.R. Stanley in the primary. Democrat Jon Douglas awaits the winner of that race in the November election.
• In District 2, incumbent Taylor Tompkins faces challenger James Franks in the primary. Both are Republicans.
• In District 3, incumbent Tim Southard, a Republican, will face Rachel Bray, a Democrat, in the November general election.
• In District 4, incumbent Butch Puttman, a Democrat, will face the winner of the Republican primary, which pits Kevin Morgan against Jay Randolph.
• In District 5, Democrat incumbent Bill “Stephens” Stark will take on Republican newcomer Noah Mills in the November general election.
• The next Henderson Board of Commissioners will include at least one new face because current commissioner Rodney Thomas didn’t file for re-election. He told the Hendersonian recently that it’s time for him to slow down and spend more time with his wife, Liz. Current commissioners Kelsey Hargis, Nick Whitt and Robert Pruitt all filed for re-election. Seven more are vying for the four seats of the city commission, so that race will be on the primary ballot. The top eight will advance to be on the ballot for November’s general election. Others in the race are Kristie Randolph, Cooper Beck, Tre Perkins, Chris Thomas, Tom Williams, Adam Blythe and Isaac Church. The Henderson City Commission race is non-partisan.
• Sheriff Chip Stauffer and County Attorney Steve Gold, as well as Carrie Smith, who is running for county clerk and Clifton Krahwinkel, who is running for county surveyor, are all running unopposed. Independent candidates can file by April 1 to run for those seats.
• Current Public Value Administrator Andrew Powell is also running unopposed. There is no other person in Henderson County who has passed the required test to be the PVA.
• Leslie Newman, the Henderson District Judge-2^nd Division, is running unopposed for her seat, while Ashley Hampton and Lindsay Noller Turner are squaring off for the district judge-1^st division seat. Jill Brady, the current district judge for the 1^st division, did not file. The district judge seats are non-partisan.
• Henderson State Sen. Robby Mills, a Republican, is running unopposed.
• State Rep. J.T. Payne, a Republican, will face newcomer Janelle Glass, a Democrat, for State Representative, 11^th District.
• Current Jailer Bruce Todd did not file for re-election, leaving Republicans Anthony Willett and Eddie Vaught to vie for the job.
• Shelia Patterson, who was appointed coroner after former coroner Bruce Farmer resigned due to health reasons last year, will take on Dewayne Reneer. Both are Republicans.