A heated local election season could be in the forecast, with contested mayoral and city council races now on the ballot in several of the county's municipalities.
Filing for this year's general election, slated for Nov. 4, closed Friday at noon, and multiple candidates have thrown their hats in the ring across the county.
The mayoral race will be contested in Blytheville, Gosnell, Dell, Leachville and Manila; and most of those city's council positions also have multiple candidates filed.
Final filings are as follows:
Blytheville mayor: James W. Sanders, Tommy Abbott, Gwendolyn Orr
Blytheville city attorney: Mike Bearden
Blytheville city clerk/treasurer: Connie S. Mosley
Blytheville Council, Ward 1, Pos. 2: Stan Parks, Margaree Rogers Jones
Blytheville Council, Ward 2, Pos. 2: L.C. Hartsfield
Blytheville Council, Ward 3, Pos. 2: Jessie Pinkney Mitchell, John Musgraves
Gosnell mayor: Don Marshall, Bobby Trump
Gosnell city clerk/treasurer: Kathy LaFarlette Hogan
Gosnell Council, Ward 1, Pos. 1: Eric Blount, Darrell Grisson
Gosnell Council, Ward 2, Pos. 1: John Pate, Danny Quearry
Gosnell Council, Ward 3, Pos. 1: Terry Byrd, Teresa K. Walker
Dell mayor: Danny Moody, Kenny Jackson
Dell recorder/treasurer: Cathy Huddleston
Dell Council, Pos. 1: Rodney Cooper
Dell Council, Pos. 2: Sandra K. Carpenter, Mary Alice Perkins
Dell Council, Pos. 3: Leslie Cook Hogue
Dell Council, Pos. 4: John Hines
Dell Council, Pos. 5: Bill Huddleston, Roger Dale Short
Leachville mayor: Shelia Spurlock, Ralph D. Wells
Leachville City Clerk: Ruth Ann Keith
Leachville Council, Ward 1, Pos. 1: Tommy Stone
Leachville Council, Ward 2, Pos. 1: Karen Wallace
Leachville Council, Ward 2, Pos. 2: Billy Hetler, Lisa Baldridge
Leachville Council, Ward 3, Pos. 1: Teresa Johnson
Leachville Council, Ward 3, Pos. 2: Johnny R. Hawkins, Chad McCoy, Michael Webster
Manila mayor: Terry Carr, Wayne Wagner
Manila city clerk: Susie Parker
Manila Council, Ward 1, Pos. 2: Dan Gamble, Steven Milligan
Manila Council, Ward 2, Pos. 2: Jason Baltimore, Susan A. Jackson
Manila Council, Ward 3, Pos. 2: Tony Hawkins, Wendell Poteet
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The Mississippi County Election Commission plans to hold drawing for ballot positions at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the second floor courtroom in the Blytheville courthouse.
The deadline to register to vote in the November election is Oct. 6. For information on registration, contact the Mississippi County Clerk's office at 870-762-2411.
sharris@blythevillecourier.com