Nonpartisan ballots are set for November

Qualifying for nonpartisan political races ended Friday with four candidates opting to run for two Columbia County school board seats.

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The school board seats up for election are District 2 and District 3.

Richmond County educator Lee Benedict, attorney Carl Schluter and homemaker Kristi Baker all qualified to fill the District 2 school board seat currently held by Mickie Blackburn.

Blackburn announced in February that she won't seek re-election.

Benedict and Schluter both qualified June 28, the first day of qualifying. Baker qualified on Friday.

District 3 incumbent Mike Sleeper qualified on Tuesday. He will run unopposed.

Superior Court judges up for re-election this year are James Blanchard Jr., Wade Padgett and David Roper. Because their jurisdictions include Columbia, Richmond and Burke counties, the judges had to qualify in Atlanta. No one else qualified to run against them.

Harlem will hold qualifying for mayor and two city council seats Aug. 23-25 at City Hall on North Louisville Street. Grovetown does not have elections scheduled this year.

All races will be decided in the Nov. 2 general election.