MACON, Ga. — There are now five official candidates to qualify for Macon-Bibb mayor.
Lawyer Lester Miller and developer Cliffard Whitby qualified Wednesday afternoon, joining county commissioner Larry Schlesinger and businessman Blake Sullivan in the race.
A fifth candidate qualified Friday morning: He is retired banker Marc Whitfield.
Retired educator Dinah Webb also signed up for run as a write-in candidate. Her name will not appear on the ballot.
In other races, veteran GBI investigator J.T. Ricketson qualified to challenge Bibb County Sheriff David Davis in this year's election.
Unlike most county elections, the sheriff's race is a partisan contest. Davis qualified as a Democrat and Ricketson as a Republican.
If either one gets a challenger from the same party, they'll have to win a May 19 primary. Then the sheriff's race will be decided in November.
Davis has been sheriff since 2012, while Ricketson has been special agent in charge of the GBI's Perry office since 2012.
There are more than a dozen races for county commission, school board, water authority and other posts.
Here is the complete list of qualified candidates:
MAYOR
Lester Miller, attorney
Larry Schlesinger, rabbi and county commissioner
Blake Sullivan, businessman
Cliffard Whitby, developer
Dinah Webb, educator (write-in candidate)
COUNTY COMMISSION
DISTRICT 1
John Adams Jr., sales manager
Valerie Wynn (incumbent)
DISTRICT 2
Paul Bronson, U.S. Army Reserve
Willie Frazier, advocate for citizens of Macon-Bibb
Weston Stroud, transit planner
DISTRICT 3
Elaine Lucas, educator (incumbent)
DISTRICT 4
Mallory Jones, Realtor (incumbent)
George Thomas, office and leasing manager
DISTRICT 5
Seth Clark, small-business owner
Louie Hargrove, retired
Carlton Kitchens, self-employed
Erion Smith, personal-development mentor
DISTRICT 6
Robert Abbott, retired manager
Donald Druitt, retired (former Bibb County emergency-management director)
Raymond Wilder, insurance adjuster
DISTRICT 7
Billy Howell, retired
Tim Rivers, entrepreneur
Bonnie Thompson, retired
DISTRICT 8
Stacy Jenkins, research and substitute teacher
Michele Parks, residential case manager
Virgil Watkins, real-estate agent (incumbent)
DISTRICT 9
Brendalyn Bailey, business technology instructor
Al "Tiger" Tillman, booking agent (incumbent)
SHERIFF
David Davis (incumbent) (Democrat)
J.T. Ricketson, GBI special agent in charge (Republican)
CORONER
Leon Jones (incumbent)
TAX COMMISSIONER
Wade McCord (incumbent)
SUPERIOR COURT CLERK
Erica Woodford (incumbent)
PROBATE COURT JUDGE
Sarah Harris, incumbent
STATE COURT SOLICITOR
Rebecca Grist (incumbent)
BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT 1
Tera Edwards, self employed
Myrtice Champion Johnson, retired principal
Michael McKeever, logistics manager
BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT 2
Thelma Dillard, retired educator (incumbent)
BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT 3
Kristin Hanlon, banker
Larry Tard, retired military/minister
BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT 4
Juawn Jackson, pre-college counselor
BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT 5
Jill Thomley, social worker
Sundra Woodford,neighborhood-revitalization manager
BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT 6
James Freeman, attorney
Albert Hall, retired
MACON WATER AUTHORITY, DISTRICT 2
Desmond Brown, senior claims analyst
Merritt Johnson, insurance agent (incumbent)
Mike McIntosh, teacher sub
MACON WATER AUTHORITY, DISTRICT 3
Dwight Jones, self-employed (incumbent)
For updated lists of qualifiers statewide, you can check the Georgia Secretary of State's office.
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