Early voting for the May 29 Republican and Democratic Party primaries opens Monday and continues through May 25.

Voting hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at these locations on these dates (any voter in the county can vote at any of these places; for example, a voter from Gilmer could vote in Gladewater, or a citizen from Simpsonville could vote at Ore City):

• Upshur County Courthouse in Gilmer, Monday-Saturday and May 21 to 25

• Glenwood Water Supply Corp., 6792 FM Road 7265, Monday through Friday

• Upshur County Sub-Courthouse, U.S. 80, Gladewater, Monday to Friday

• Ore City City Hall, 302 W. Main St., May 21 to 25

• Simpsonville Volunteer Fire Department (10282 FM 556), May 21 to 25

For applications for ballots by mail, contact the County Clerk’s Office at the courthouse in Gilmer at 903-843-3041.

Besides races ranging from the state legislature to U.S. senator and the Presidential primary, the local Republican ballot has six contested races for county governmental office and a 3-way race for county GOP chairman.

In addition, an Upshur County resident, H.D. Bailey, is opposing incumbent Bailey C. Moseley, who is seeking reelection as Place Two Justice on the state’s 6th Court of Appeals in Texarkana.

Only two persons, appointed County Tax Assessor-Collector Sherron Laminack (who is seeking election in her own right) and Pct. 2 Constable Jason Weeks, who is seeking reelection, escaped opposition for county offices on the GOP ballot.

For the first time in at least 60 years—possibly much longer­—there are no Democratic Party candidates for an Upshur County governmental office this year.

The only candidate for a local office on the Democratic ballot is Dan Miles Jr., who is unopposed for the county Demoratic Party chairmanship now held by Gilmer attorney Joe Newsom.

Other than the GOP chairman race, the only contested race for countywide office on the GOP ballot is for sheriff, where incumbent Anthony Betterton faces three challengers in his bid for a fourth term—Larry Webb, Donald Willeford, and Greg Mandreger.

But both county commissioners who are up for reelection face contests in their respective precincts. Pct. 1 Comm. James Crittenden has four opponents—Mike Chandler, Paula Gentry, Wayne Oney, and Richard (RB) Hodge. Pct. 3 Comm. Lloyd Crabtree faces Frank Berka.

In the GOP chairmanship race, incumbent Ken Ambrose is opposed for reelection by Chuck Mears and Cynthia Ridgeway.

The Republican ballot also has three contested constable races.

In Pct. 1, Gene Dolle and Tim A. Barnett are vying to replace retiring incumbent Russell Harris. In Pct. 3, three candidates—Stanley Jenkins, John Cannon Jr. and Landon Burleson—seek to replace retiring incumbent Jerry Kuhn.

Pct. 4 Constable Phillip M. Hill is opposed for reelection by Wayne Henson and Dewayne LaGrone.

Of races on the GOP ballot other than for county office, the one which has drawn the most attention here is the hotly-contested battle between District 7 State Rep. David Simpson (R-Longview), seeking reelection, and the veteran legislator he ousted two years ago, Tommy Merritt.

Upshur County was put in their legislative district, which also includes Gregg County, in the redistricting which took effect after the 2010 election, and both men have campaigned heavily here.

State Rep. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), who has represented Upshur County for several years, is running for reelection in a district that no longer includes the county, and is opposed by Mary Lookadoo in the May 29 primary.

Upshur County has also been split into two Congressional districts. U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tyler) is unopposed in the primary, but incumbent Ralph Hall (R-Rockwall) has two challengers, Steve Clark and Lou Gigliotti.

The GOP ballot also has five propositions for voters to express their opinions on matters ranging from whether to repeal “Obamacare” to whether “government should be prohibited from restricting the content of public prayer.”

In any GOP or Democratic race involving more than two candidates, and in which no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff will be held July 31. Candidates for precinct chairmanships in the Upshur County Republican Party will also be on the July 31 GOP ballot, but not the May 29 ballot.

In November, an Upshur County resident, Sherri Little, will be the Libertarian candidate for the District 9 seat on the State Board of Education.

She will face the winner of the May 29 Republican primary contest between incumbent Thomas Ratliff, seeking reelection, and Randy Stevenson.

For applications for ballots by mail, contact the county clerk’s office at the courthouse in Gilmer, 903-843-3041.