This year is a busy one on the political campaign trail with open seats from the local Board of Education to the Governor up for election. Voters will have a full ballot with a lot of candidates to choose from in the primary.

Primary elections will be held on Tuesday, June 5 at regular local polling locations. Ahead of those elections, many candidates have visited St. Clair County to meet and speak with voters.

The Alabama Primary is held to determine each political party nominee for the General Election, which will be on Oct. 22.

According to the Alabama Secretary of State’s 2018 Voting Guide, “If there are three or more candidates in a race, and if no one receives a majority of the votes cast, then a second primary election or runoff election is held between the two candidates who receive the highest number of votes in the first primary. The winner of this runoff election will be the party nominee.”

The primary runoff election, if needed, will be July 2.

Gubernatorial candidates participated in a political forum at Moody Civic Center, including Tommy Battle, Scott Dawson, Sue Bell Cobb, James C. Fields, Jr., and Doug “New Blue” Smith. Each candidate answered questions about their potential governorship and their stance on topics such as education, lottery, infrastructure, economic development, and the current political climate.

Democratic candidates for U.S. Representative, 3^rd Congressional District Mallory Hagan and Adia McClellan Winfrey have spoken with voters in St. Clair County also. 

Some of the statewide candidates visited Pell City last week, including candidates for State Representative District No. 30 Rusty Jessup, Craig Lipscomb, and Robert McKay; a spokesperson for Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh, candidate for Lt. Governor; Will Ainsworth, candidate for Lt. Governor; spokesperson for Gerald Dial, candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries; Judge Debra Jones, candidate for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Place 1; Mark Anderson stood to campaign for his son, Rich Anderson who is a candidate for the Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Place No. 1; Chris McCool, candidate for Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Place No. 2;  Christy Edwards, candidate for Court of Civil Appeals Judge, Place No. 1; Bill Cole, candidate for Court of Criminal Appeals Judge, Place No. 3, and Richard Minor, candidate for Court of Criminal Appeals Judge, Place No. 1.

St. Clair County Sheriff candidates Roy Mullins and Billy J. Murray have been busy campaigning throughout the county for the past year, as well as St. Clair County Board of Education Superintendent candidates Greg Cobb and Mike Howard. 

Steve Marshall, incumbent candidate for Alabama Attorney General, made an appearance at Lakefest in Pell City last week and Chess Bedsole, who is also a Republican candidate for Attorney General visited voters in Pell City last week. 

With so many offices listed on the ballot, Mark Anderson, father to Rich Anderson who is a candidate for the Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Place No. 1, stated, “We need people who can make the kind of decisions that need to be made. Every election is important. Every election we have to step up.”

Only offices in certain precincts will apply to specific voting districts. For more information on your local polling location, contact the St. Clair County Voter Registrars Office at 205-338-3954. For more information on candidates, visit ballotpedia.org/Alabama and search for your district.