As 2023 comes to an end, Jackson County political candidates are ringing in the new year with candidacy announcements. With well over 27,000 registered voters in the county, the upcoming November 2024 election will be one for the books with numerous candidates already prefiling for one of the leading elected offices in the county including sheriff, superintendent of schools, and commissioner.

Three Jackson County commission seats will be up for election in 2024. Those seats are in Districts 1, 3, and 5. Currently three candidates have filed to run for the seat of County Commissioner District 5 (these voters are in the south-eastern portion of the county). Incumbent Jim Peacock along with Jamey Westbrook and Mickey Gilmore have all pre-filed to run for the office with all three running as Republican candidates. County Commission District 3’s seat is also up for election in 2024, this seat’s voters are in the Marianna area. Current incumbent Paul Donofro, Jr. has pre-filed to run for re-election along with Mary Ann Hutton. Both candidates are also running as Republican candidates. The final seat up for election on the County Commission is District 1 whose majority voters will be located in the north-eastern portion of the county including Campbellton. At time of print only one candidate, Byron Dickens had pre-filed to run for the seat. It is currently held by Campbellton-native Alex McKinnie. Dickens is running as a Republican candidate.

The Jackson County School Board will also have two seats up for election in 2024. Those seats are in District 2 and District 3, currently held by Tony Pumphrey and Stacey Goodson. District 2 includes a large number of Graceville voters with the district covering most of the south-western part of the county. No candidates have pre-filed for either office at time of print.

All of Jackson County’s main offices including Property Appraiser (Rebecca Morris-Haid), Sheriff (Donnie Edenfield), Clerk of Court (Clayton O. Rooks), Superintendent of School (Steve Benton), Supervisor of Elections (Carol Dunaway) and Tax Collector (Mary Carol Murdock) as well as County Court Judge (Douglas Wade Mercer) are up for election in 2024. Currently there are four offices with candidates who have pre-filed - Property Appraiser, Sheriff, Supervisor of Elections, and Superintendent of Schools.

David Fraser has pre-filed as a Republican running for the office of Property Appraiser and incumbent Carol Dunaway has pre-filed to run as a Republican for re-election as the county Supervisor of Elections. At time of print, two candidates had also pre-filed to run for the office of Superintendent of Schools, those were incumbent Steven Benton and Laurence Pender, with both men running as Republicans.

The office of Sheriff will be a heated race with four candidates already throwing their hats in by pre-filing. Currently three Republican candidates are running which include incumbent Sheriff Donnie Edenfield as well as Chris Brannon and Jeffery O’Pry. Also, running as a NPA candidate is Graceville resident Lee Keith.

The Soil & Water Conservation District also has three groups up for election. The nonpartisan seats are in Groups 1, 3, and 5.

The Jackson County Supervisor of Elections website provides information on upcoming elections, candidates and how to become one, as well as an ongoing list of all candidates who have pre-filed for the 2024 election. There will be a Presidential Preference Primary held on Tuesday, March 19, early voting will be held March 9 through March 16. The Primary Election will take place on Tuesday, August 20 with early voting dates set for August 6 through August 17. Jackson County’s 2024 General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 with early voting dates set for October 22 through November 2.

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