All current council members in OB & GS to seek reelection
All current council members in OB & GS to seek reelection
All five Orange Beach and Gulf Shores City Council members and both cities’ mayors have announced they intend to seek reelection to their seats.
Qualifying opened on July 7 and each candidate must file papers with the Alabama Ethics Commission by July 21 before becoming completely qualified for the Aug. 25 municipal election.
In Orange Beach, that includes, in addition to Mayor Tony Kennon, incumbents Jeff Boyd in Place 2, Jeff Silvers in Place 4, Annette Mitchell in Place 1, Jerry Johnson in Place 3 and Joni Blalock in Place 5. Former OB Police Chief Joe Fierro has announced he will run for the Place 5 slot Blalock has held since 2004.
This is the first time since 2012 that there will be a contested race in Orange Beach’s municipal election.
In 2012, Boyd defeated incumbent Brett Holk and Johnson defeated incumbent Pattisue Simpson. In 2016, no one signed up to contest any of the five places on the council or the mayor’s office.
Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft said he intends to run again and at least two council seats in Gulf Shores will be contested in the election. There are two challengers for Place 4 on the council currently held by Jason Dyken. Angie Swiger, former member of the Baldwin County Board of Education and Cheryl Connell have each announced they will run for the Place 4 spot.
Nan Hedgspeth has decided she will run for Place 2 on the council, the spot currently held by Gary Sinak. Councilman Steve Jones announced on Facebook that he would seek his fifth term in Place 5. Councilman Joe Garris in Place 1 said on July 8 he plans to see reelection to his seat for a fifth term. Councilman Philip Harris has held the Place 3 spot for the last three terms and announced on Facebook he will seek another.
In 2016, only one seat was contested and Gary Sinak and Kevin Corcoran ran for the seat formerly held by Carolyn Doughty, won by Sinak. In case you are wondering if your vote counts, Sinak, with 535 votes, edged Corcoran, with 507 votes, by only 28 votes.