Qualifying has officially ended for local offices in the 2026 election cycle, and the list of candidates who will appear on the ballot has been released.
Several county positions, including seats on the Gordon County Board of Commissioners and the Gordon County Board of Education, are up for election this year.
For County Commissioner, District 2, three candidates qualified for the race. Incumbent Chad Steward (R) will face George Kenneth Hayes, Jr. (R) in the Republican primary, while Joshua L. Boling (D) qualified as the Democratic candidate.
In the race for County Commissioner, District 4, three Republicans have qualified: Justin Henderson, Johnny Martin, and incumbent Kurt Sutherland.
On the Gordon County Board of Education, several seats will also be contested.
For Post 1, incumbent Charles “Charlie” Walraven (R) qualified and currently has no opposition.
Steven Proper (R) qualified for Board of Education Post 3, while Mericia Henderson (R) qualified for Post 5, both without opposition at this time.
The race for Board of Education Post 7 will feature three Republican candidates: Judy M. Craig, Dakota Grogan, and Sheila Wheat.
With qualifying now closed, voters will next turn their attention to the upcoming election cycle, where primary races will determine party nominees for contested seats.