Several changes have shaken up the candidate picture for Clay County elections.
Would-be chancery clerk candidate Harold Lathon remains disqualified from running after meeting with the Clay County Democratic Executive Committee, and two of three candidates from the Collins family were also removed from the list of qualifiers.
District 2 Supervisor candidate Phillip Collins withdrew his name after being notified he is considered a resident of District 5.
Collins said Wednesday he has lived with his mother in District 2 for several years and receives his mail at that address, but the house he once shared with his now estranged wife is located in District 5. Because he has no proof of residence at his mother”s home, such as a utility bill, he chose to withdraw.
“I asked him for some specifics and he said he didn”t have them,” said Pat Cannon, chairperson of the Clay County DEC.
Election officials said Collins would have been forced to surrender his office had he won. Collins” withdrawal leaves incumbent Luke Lummus unopposed.
District 2 Constable candidate Johnnie Collins” candidacy was revoked Wednesday following a meeting with the Clay County Election Commission for incomplete paperwork.
Collins, who filed to run as an independent, was required to submit with his application a petition with 15 signatures of qualified electors. However, the petition Collins submitted was not filled out at the top where the name of the candidate seeking the signatures is listed. Therefore, the signatures could not be accepted.
Because Collins turned in his paperwork with just over one hour remaining before the March 1 qualifying deadline, there was not adequate time to rectify the problem. Collins asked the 15 signatories to resign a completed form, but it was rejected because it was turned in after the deadline. The election commission presented Collins with an attorney general”s opinion stating such.
Phillip and Johnnie Collins are brothers and cousin to current Ward 3 Selectman and District 4 Supervisor candidate Charles Collins.
Lathon was denied reinstatement as a qualifier on the same grounds; that he still has yet to provide substantial proof of residency in West Point. Cannon said Lathon provided no additional information at Wednesday”s meeting.
District 5 Supervisor candidate Jesse Ivy has also qualified as a Democrat. He had previously qualified as an independent to run for sheriff, then qualified for District 5 supervisor as a Democrat. Candidates are not allowed to seek two offices in the same election cycle, so the DEC certified Ivy for the last office for which he qualified.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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