by JoBeth Wampler
Staff Reporter 
  Several more candidates have thrown their hats into the ring in the past few weeks, announcing their formal intent to seek election in November.
  A total of 31 candidates have now announced their intent to seek office in the county's November election and/or have filed their statements of organization with Buchanan County Voter Registrar Vickie Clevinger.
  All seven supervisors seats, as well as the constitutional offices of sheriff, Circuit Court Clerk, commissioner of revenue, treasurer and commonwealth attorney will be on the ballot.
  Additionally seven non-partisan posts on the Buchanan County School Board will be up for election and two director's positions for the Soil and Water Conservation District board will also be on the November 6 ballot.
  Democrats will hold a convention June 2 to name their candidates for the fall election, while Republicans are set to hold a mass meeting May 19 to select their slate of candidates.
  Candidates seeking to be elected to the Buchanan County School Board must file with the Voter Registrar's office by no later than June 12, 2007 at 7 p.m.
  Persons seeking election to the school board must be qualified to vote and hold the office they are seeking; must have been a resident of the state for the year preceding the election; must reside in the district they seek to represent; and submit a petition signed by 125 registered voters of the district in which they are seeking election asking for them to be named a candidate on the November ballot. School board candidates who have filed their statements of organization or declarations of candidacy with the voter registrar's office include incumbents Clarence Brown (Knox); Don Newberry (North Grundy); Willie Sullivan (Hurricane); and David Thornbury (South Grundy). Phyllis Sumrall, who was the first school board candidate to file, is seeking to challenge Brown for the Knox school board post.
  Countywide, interest in the election appears high.
  A Democrat candidate filing deadline has now passed, meaning there will no more Democrat candidates in the races up for election.
  The Republican candidate filing deadline is five days before a planned May 19 mass meeting at which the Republican party's slate of candidates will be chosen.
  In the Circuit Court Clerk's race, four Democrats have filed to seek that party's nomination for the post including incumbent Beverly (Bev) Tiller, who was appointed to the post earlier this year to fill the unexpired term of Jim Bevins, who resigned due to health reasons. Additional Democrat candidates who filed for the post include Chris Horn, Tony Matney and Pat Imel.
  No Republicans have formally announced their intent to seek election to the clerk's office.
  A race for the sheriff's nomination is shaping up in the Democrat Party with Pat Wolford, Randy Ashby and Tim Potter each having announced their intent to seek the post.
  Incumbent Republican Ray Foster, who is seeking his second term as sheriff, is the only announced Republican candidate seeking the office of sheriff.
  Grover Allen Dales, who first announced plans to seek the Democrat nomination and later announced his withdrawal from that race has now re-entered, indicating he will seek the sheriff's post as an independent candidate.
  In the Commonwealth Attorney's race, incumbent Democrat Sheila Tolliver is unopposed for the Democrat nomination and Tamara Neo has announced her intent to seek the Republican nomination. James (Jim) Slone has entered the race as an independent candidate.
  Incumbent Treasurer Bill Keene is unopposed in his bid for the Democrat Party nomination for that post. There is no announced Republican candidate.
  Jay Rife is unopposed in his bid for the Democrat nomination for Commissioner of Revenue. Rife, who originally indicated he would seek the clerk's post, decided instead to seek the commissioner's post after long-time Buchanan County Commissioner of Revenue Victor Breeding announced he will retire at year's end and that he will not seek re-election. There is no announced Republican candidate for the position.
  Announced candidates for supervisor to date are as follows:
  Garden: Steve Hamro III, who is currently the Garden District School Board representative, has filed to seek the Republican nomination for Garden District Supervisor. Berlin Viers is unopposed in his bid to seek the Democrat nomination.
  Hurricane: Incumbent William P. Harris is unopposed in his bid to seek the Democrat nomination. Scotty Wampler has filed to seek the Republican nomination for Hurricane supervisor.
  Knox: Incumbent Pat Justus and challenger Trey Adkins are both seeking the Democrat nomination. Terry Hall has announced his intent to seek the Republican nomination for the Knox post.
  North Grundy: Incumbent Carroll Branham is unopposed in his bid to seek the Democrat nomination. There is no announced Republican candidate.
  Prater: Steve O'Quinn is unopposed in his bid to seek the Democrat nomination for Prater supervisor. There is no announced Republican candidate.
  Rocklick: Incumbent David Ratliff and Carl Frankie Landreth, have both filed to seek the Democrat nomination for supervisor. There is no announced Republican candidate.
  South Grundy: Janie Owens is unopposed in her bid for the Democrat nomination for South Grundy supervisor. There is no announced Republican candidate.
  Incumbent South Grundy Supervisor Roger Rife; and Incumbent Prater Supervisor Eddie Lindsay have not formally announced whether they will seek re-election, nor had they filed statements of organization with the registrar's office as of Tuesday at press time.
  Incumbent Garden District Supervisor Buddy Fuller has indicated he will not seek re-election.
  Candidates for the soil and water conservation district director posts, Clevinger said, only need the signatures of 25 registered voters in order to be considered eligible to run for those posts.
  Other dates of note for the upcoming election, she said include October 9 which is the last day to register to vote; October 30, which is the last day to vote by mail; and November 3 which is the last day to vote absentee in person.
  Additionally, Clevinger noted if more than one candidate files, Democrats will hold a June primary to pick a candidate for House of Delegates in the Virginia General Assembly. Dan Bowling is the incumbent.

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