Candidates in short supply

Incumbent County Clerk Chasity Ware will face no opposition in the August Republican primary election after she was the sole person to file for the post by the June 1 deadline. (Submitted photo)

By Roger Sims, Journal staff

linncountyjournal@icloud.com

MOUND CITY – With the deadline to file for county and township offices expiring at noon on Monday, June 1, there are only three candidates who have signed up for three offices.

Robert Shelton, a Republican from La Cygne, is the sole candidate to file for the commission post from Commission District No. 1. Incumbent Commissioner Jason Hightower, a Republican, did not file for re-election and will end his tenure in early January after one four-year term.

County Clerk Chasity Ware, a Republican, is the only person to file for the county clerk’s post, a job she has held since last October when former clerk Danielle Souza resigned. Both Ware and Souza were appointed by the Republican Central Committee after the elected clerk David Lamb retired in January 2025 a couple months after he was re-elected to the post.

Incumbent Register of Deeds Debbie Snyder also will not be opposed in the August Republican primary. (Photo by Ashlee Mitchell)

County Register of Deeds Debbie Snyder, also a Republican, was also the only person to file for her position. Like Ware, Snyder was appointed to her post after the retirement of Kristy Schmitz in October 2025

State statutes require that those position be on the ballot during the first even-year election since the appointments were made. If elected, Ware and Snyder will fill the remaining two years of the original office holders’ terms.

Only a smattering of candidates signed up for the 11 township clerk positions. Larry Holt filed for Mound City Township clerk, Kay Northcutt for Scott Township, and Thomas Patterson for Valley Township.

That means that write-ins will likely fill those slots for the following townships:

• Blue Mound

• Centerville

• Liberty

• Lincoln

• Paris

• Potosi

• Sheridan

• Stanton

Precinct committee people will be elected at the August primary. Republicans filed for 15 of the 26 slots. The only contest likely to be contested will be for the Lincoln-South precinct committeeman position, which will pit long-time committeman Charlie Rhynerson against challenger George Nunnamacher.

Nine Democrats filed for 26 slots. Most of the candidates have served in those posts before.