qualifying

Qualifying for the 2024 election cycle concluded on Friday, Nov. 10, with few challenges in local races.

Qualifying is now underway for the 2024 federal, state and local primary elections. The local Republican Party started its qualifying on Oct. 10, and the state Republican Party started qualifying candidates on Oct. 16. The local Democratic Party and the state Democratic Party are also busy qualifying candidates, with all party qualifying scheduled to conclude at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10.

Qualifying closed for both the Republican and Democratic parties on Jan. 28, with few if any last minutes surprises. No one qualified for a local office during the last week of qualifying. Two local candidates have no opposition in their bids for re-election. They have no opposition from either major party, virtually assuring them of re-election to their current positions.

With only a few days remaining to qualify for local office, the Superintendent of Education and Fayette County Sheriff races have attracted the most candidates. The Fayette County Republican Party began qualifying candidates for office for the 2022 elections on Dec. 1, 2021, and the Fayette County Democratic Party began its local qualifying on Dec. 20, 2021.

The Fayette County Republican Party began qualifying candidates for office for the 2022 election on Dec. 1, and the Fayette County Democratic Party began its local qualifying on Dec. 20. At press time, there were no qualifiers for local office through the Democratic Party. 

Several local Republicans are literally off to the races early as the Fayette County Republican Party began accepting qualifiers on Dec. 1. According to Fayette County Republican Chairman John Killian, current Fayette County Sheriff Byron Yerby was the first in line to qualify, turning his paperwork in to Fayette County Republican Candidate Committee Chairman Ty Burnett at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 1

Qualifying has ended for next year’s March 3 primaries, and several candidates are set to seek local office. All of the contested local primary races next year will be within the Republican Party. Fayette Democratic Party Chairman John Underwood, who is also a Fayette County Commissioner, said that he is seeking re-election to his District 6 Commission seat, while Billy Joe Rodgers has qualified as a Democrat for the County Commission District 5 position that he currently holds.

Qualifying for next year’s primaries and general election opens Tuesday, Oct. 8 and will end on Friday, Nov. 8. Local offices on the ballot will include county commission seats in districts two, four, five and six. Fayette County Board of Education seats up for election will include districts four and five.