While Lee County's Aug. 2 party primaries will see three contested Justice Court judge races, only one of the final winners will be determined before the November general election.

In District 1, competition is between three Republican candidates - Chris Bauer, incumbent Pat Carr and Grady Guntharp. If no candidate gets a majority, an Aug. 23 runoff will determine who'll hold the office the next four years since there are no Democrats or other candidates in the race.

Districts 2 and 3 have Democratic primary contests. Clinton Gannon takes on Cliff Hardy in District 2 for the right to oppose Republican incumbent John Hoyt Sheffield in the Nov. 8 general election, while in District 3, Melinda Wells challenges incumbent Sadie Holland. The winner will face Republican William Wayne Housley in November.

Neither Sheffield nor Housley has a Republican primary opponent.

In District 4, incumbent Judge Rickey W. Thompson has neither primary nor general election opposition.

After District 1 Constable Bobby Joyner's death, Scotty Clark won a 2010 special election to fill the slot.

Now Clark seeks re-election against fellow Republicans Jerry Duffie and Joe Huckaby. Mark Ratliff and Greg Rodgers are competing for the Democratic nomination.

District 2 has four Republican candidates - Michael Paul Anglin, David Hunt, Harvey Mitchell and incumbent Ted Wood - and no Democrats. The winner will face independent Eddie Ellis in November.

The District 3 constable race will be decided in the Aug. 2 Democratic primary. Winner of the race between incumbent Phil Gann and challenger Reginald Adams has no opposition in November.

District 4 incumbent constable Tom Henry "Punnie" Lyles has no primary or general election opponents.

For more information about the candidates, see Page 7A.

patsy.brumfield@journalinc.com