The qualifying started Monday morning, April 26, at 9:00 a.m., and several Democratic candi- dates were there to pay in to Probate Judge Brenda McNease.

The only candidates who had already announced in this newspaper, have qualified. They are Renza P. Israel for Board of Education, District 4, and Jimmy Phillips for County Commissioner, District 4.

Other candidates qualifying were Barbie L. Womble, County Commissioner, District 2; G.C. Jinks Jr., County Commissioner, District 4; Vicki Franklin Merritt, Board of Education, District 2;

All of these candidates and any other who qualify as Democrats will run in the July 20, 2010 Democratic Primary when the state and federal Democratic candidates will run. Any county, state and federal candidates who choose to run as Republican will run in the July 20, 2010 Republican Primary.

Important! Voters must choose to vote in the Democratic Primary or the Republican Primary. This is state law, not a county rule. Example - If a voter wants to vote for a Republican candidate for U.S. Congress, Senate or Representative, that voter cannot vote for any Democratic candidate, local, state or national or visa versa.

The qualifying, both Democratic and Republican, which opened Monday, April 26, will close at noon, Friday, April 30.

After the qualifying closes Friday, the only time a candidate’s name will be mentioned in this newspaper after the May 5 edition will be in a paid political ad. We will report on the winners of the July 20 primaries. The Democratic and Republican winners will face each other in the November 2, 2010, General Election. The winners in that election will be your newly elected officials.

May the best candidates win.