As Black Belt voters prepare for presidential election, things are pretty quiet in local races

The Nov. 5 ballot is topped by the biggest race there is in U.S. politics, but things are much quieter when you get down to the local races throughout the Black Belt.

Black Belt voters will of course vote for president on Nov. 5, and incumbent Congresswoman Terri Sewell is running for reelection against Republican challenger Robin Litaker.

Democrat Greg Griffin and Republican Sarah Stewart are running for chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Five justices are running unopposed for their seats on the court. Candidates for the Court of Civil Appeals, Court of Criminal Appeals and the Public Service Commission follow, all of whom are unopposed.

Voters in Dallas, Marengo, Perry, Lowndes and Wilcox counties among others, will find Tonya Smith Chestnut, a Democrat from Selma, is facing off against Republican David W. Perry in the race for District 5 of the State Board of Education.

In the Fourth Judicial Circuit, which includes Dallas, Wilcox and Perry counties, Circuit Court Judge Collins Pettaway Jr. is running unopposed for reelection. Lowndes County is in the Second Judicial Circuit, where Cleve Poole is running unopposed for circuit judge. Marengo County, which is in the 17^th Judicial District, has Gregory S. Griggers running unopposed as circuit judge.

Voters in Marengo, Perry and Lowndes counties are electing district judges. Vince Deas is running unopposed for district judge in Marengo County, Robert D. Bryant is unopposed as district judge in Perry County and Adrian D. Johnson is unopposed in Lowndes County.

In each county covered by the Black Belt News Network, a candidate is running unopposed for the position of circuit clerk and judge of probate.

In Dallas County, Lynnethia Robinson Bennett is running unopposed for circuit clerk, as is current Probate Judge Jimmy Nunn.

In Lowndes County, Stephanie Powell Jones is running unopposed for circuit clerk, and LaShandra Myrick is running unopposed as judge of probate.

Marengo County voters will find Darren Glass running unopposed as circuit clerk, and Laura Hall is unopposed as judge of probate. In Perry County, Mia Jacobs-Turner is running for circuit clerk and Carlton L. Hogue as judge of probate. Both are unopposed. In Wilcox County, Carolyn Davis-Posey is unopposed as circuit clerk and Britney Jones-Alexander as judge of probate.

County commission seats are up for re-election in every county.  

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For the Dallas County Commission, Connel “Big Daddy” Towns Sr. in District 1 and Curtis Williams in District 3 are unopposed. Vivian Rogers and Ronald Kenan Sawyer are running for the District 2 seat. William Lumpkin is facing off against Barry Lorenzo Allen for the District 4 seat.

Allen is running as an independent after the secretary of state ruled he was ineligible to run in the March Democratic primary because he didn’t turn in the required statement of economic interest form by the state’s deadline.

In Marengo County, Jason Windham and Calvin Martin are running unopposed for seats in Districts 2 and 4 respectively. Barbara Howze and Charlton “Carl” Lewis are unopposed for seats in Districts 4 and 5 respectively for the Perry County Commission. In Lowndes County, Charles King Jr. in District 2, Fletcher Hayes in District 3 and Dickson Farrior in District 5 are all running unopposed for a seat on the Lowndes County Commission.

Wilcox County has unopposed races in county commission Districts 1 and 5. William Wood “Bill” Albritton is unopposed in District 1 of the Perry County Commission, as is Robert L. “Chub” Stallworth Jr. in District 2. In District 5, Democrat Quarre Calhoun is facing off against Republican Authur J. Brodnax.

Seats on the boards of education in Dallas, Marengo and Perry counties are up for a vote.

Dallas County School Board member Melvin Flanagan-Brown was declared ineligible to run in the Democratic primary because she missed the deadline. No candidate is listed for her seat. Nunn said he understood Flanagan-Brown has organized a write-in campaign to retain her seat.

Mamie Williams Solomon is running unopposed to keep her Dallas County School Board seat in District 3.

For the Marengo County School Board, Freddie Charleston is running unopposed for Seat 1 and Mark Bedsole is unopposed for Seat 2. Eulas Kirtdoll Sr. and Cheryle L. Thomas are unopposed for their seats on the Perry County School Board.

A constable is a peace officer elected by voting precinct. Voters in Dallas County and Wilcox counties will find these positions on their ballots.

Polls will open at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m.