Early voting for several Wood County city and school elections begins April 24 for the May 6 election municipal elections. There are hotly contested mayoral elections races in Quitman and Alba, and a full slate of candidates for school board in Yantis.

Signs are beginning to pop up throughout the towns of Quitman and Alba in the mayor’s race. In Quitman incumbent Mayor J.R. Evans is being challenged by current alderman David Dobbs. Evans has served as mayor for two terms and Dobbs is in his second term on the council. There are also three people running for two open council spots. Incumbents Randy Dunn and Brad Medlin have both filed as has former mayor pro-tem Toni Cole. Dunn has been on the council for two terms while Medlin was appointed to finish James Whitehurst moved out of the city limits and gave up his seat. Cole is a former alderman who was defeated in last year’s city council election. Cole and current alderman Kevin Gilbreath had to face off in a second election after they tied for a final spot on the council last spring.

The Quitman ISD will be having an election for two spots. Incumbent Jane Herring has file for re-election and is running against former board member Raymond Peek and Mark Breding. Incumbent QISD board President Trey Teaff decline to run for another term.

Quitman ISD and city election early voting will take place at the city hall in the council chambers.

The city of Alba has incumbent Mayor Ted Levitt battling incumbent city councilman Preston “Sonny” Hass for the mayor’s position. Levitt and Hass have been on opposite sides of several issues the past two years and the race is shaping up as the hottest contest in many years for the mayor position. Early voting in Alba is at the city hall.

Alba-Golden ISD is not having an election. Incumbent board members Joey Hooten and Ed Teel are not seeking to return to the board. Jason Stovall is seeking a return to his seat while Jack Staley and Johnny Teel will fill the other two seats.

The school board race in Yantis has brought several interested candidates. There are two regular spots open and there is one unexpired term up due to the untimely death of longtime board member Mike Kenney. Running for the full terms are Shannon Hall, Mike Allen, Jennifer McKeever, Melissa Stephens and incumbent board member Kay Glenn. The three candidates for the unexpired term are Joey Bush, Tyra Gilbreath Kenemore and April Johnson. The early voting for school board is at the YISD administrative office.

There will be no mayor’s race in Yantis where incumbent Jerry Miller has been serving for 14 years (seven terms) and is running unopposed for an eighth term. Miller is the “dean” of mayor’s in Wood County for his longevity at the helm of the northwest Wood County community. Incumbent councilmen Bruce Sumner and John Norris III are both running unopposed.

Mineola ISD incumbents Dr. John Abbott and Dr. Kyle Gulley are running unopposed for their seats on the district’s school board of trustees. In the Mineola city races, incumbent alderman Kevin White is unopposed for mayor after Mayor Rodney Watkins decided not to make a bid for re-election. Also, alderperson posts in three wards have no opposition to those who have filed. In Ward 1 incumbent Polly Jones filed, Jack Newman in Ward 2 and Mitchell Tuck in Ward 3.

On the eastern side of Wood County, the Hawkins ISD race has drawn three candidates for two seats on the board of trustees. Incumbents Robbie White and Janice Vonner are begin challenged by Steven Holland. The Hawkins city council race finds two council spots being challenged and one where the incumbent is unopposed. In Place 2 incumbent Clara Kay is facing a challenge by Silas A. Franks and for Place 5, John Q. Wise, Sr. is taking on incumbent Norma Oglesby. Place 5 councilman Wayne Kirkpatrick is running unopposed. Early voting will be for Hawkins is at the school for both city and school elections.