Crowded races for three cities

Published 2:00 am Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The final buzzer has sounded calling for the last opportunity to qualify as a candidate in the August municipal elections for Brewton, East Brewton and Riverview.
Qualifying for the 2012 election began just 17 days ago with some candidates coming out of the gate early in the race — some, in fact, had announced their intentions months before qualifying began.
In the race for mayor in Brewton, three candidates will have their names on the ballot with at least one candidate announcing their intentions to seek the office as far back as January 2011, just days after current mayor Ted Jennings announced he would not seek re-election to the office.
David Jennings, Frank Nalty and Yank Lovelace have begun their campaigns for the office of Brewton’s mayor with events, signs and stickers already showing up around the community.
Although Fred Barton had been rumored to be seeking a spot in the mayor’s race, he qualified to run for re-election in District 5.
In East Brewton, incumbent Terry Clark will be facing two challengers for the office. Louis Hinote and Priscilla Ellington have qualified to have their names on the ballot for the East Brewton mayor’s seat.
In Riverview, incumbent mayor Carl Smith will also be facing two challengers in the August Election. Adam “Spanky” Sexton and Dennis Ray Hammac have qualified to run for the position
City council seats in all three municipalities are up for grabs as well with the field of candidates growing right up to the last minute of qualifying Tuesday.
In Brewton, members of the current council have all qualified to seek re-election to their seats with the exception of Cary Barton who will not seek another term in his position on the council representing district 3.
Candidates for Brewton City Council are: District 1 – Incumbent Dennis Dunaway and Pat Poole; District 2 – Incumbent Frank Cotton is unopposed; District 3 – Robert Watson, Jesse Redmon, Bill Littles and Butch McKenzie; District 4 – Incumbent Joe Watson is unopposed; and District 5 – Incumbent Fred Barton, Randall Pugh and Rufus White.
Candidates for East Brewton City Council are: Place 1 – Incumbent Ned Seibert is unopposed; Place 2 – Incumbent Kenny Hultz is unopposed; Place 3 – Incumbent Ludon Simmons and Robert Bradley; Place 4 – Incumbent Bob Arrant and Michael Cosey; and Place 5 – Incumbent Byron Palmer is unopposed.
In the race for council positions in Riverview are: Place 1 –Judy Hudson and Donald W. Fuqua; Place 2 – Barbara Tindell and Melissa Smith-Britton; Place 3 –Tressa Richards and Lisa McArthur McCall; Place 4 –Billie Jo Miller and Linda (Evans) Brunson; Place 5 –Sandra A. Townsend and Kenneth Mills.
Elections are set for Aug. 28 in each municipality with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.