TUPELO – With the qualifying deadline passing Friday to file in this year’s city elections, the two candidates seeking the mayor’s office will not have opposition until the June general election.

City Council President Fred Pitts, a Republican, will have no opponent in the May 7 primary but will face attorney Jason Shelton, a Democrat, in the June 4 general election. Incumbent Mayor Jack Reed Jr. did not seek re-election.

Pitts, 70, a small business owner, formally announced his intention to seek the city’s top elected office in November and has appeared in the community ever since wearing a red and white “Pitts for Tupelo” button. He said having no opponent in the primary election won’t delay him from asking voters to support his campaign.

“We want to carry our message to the citizens of Tupelo in any way we can during the next few months,” he said. “We’re ready to meet the public and talk about our plans for the future and emphasize the experience and leadership ability I’ve showed on the council.”

During each year of his one term as councilman, Pitts served as president. He said his campaign will focus on continuing to improve city services and Tupelo’s appearance and advancing economic development.

While Tupelo hasn’t elected a Democrat as mayor since the administration of James N. Caldwell three decades ago, Shelton said his energy and determination will buck the GOP trend.

“There’s not a Republican or Democratic way to fix a pothole,” said Shelton, 36,who filed papers to run on Monday. “I’m not running to change the city’s politics. I’m running because I’m passionate about the city and we need a new round of leadership.”

Shelton said he would focus on quality of life issues in the community that will “make Tupelo too good to leave,” aiming to recruit and retain more “young, working families” to the area.

CITY COUNCIL

Incumbent Ward 7 Councilman Willie Jennings, a Democrat, is the only candidate without a primary or general election opponent. Most of the other council races will be decided in the primary elections.

This week, two additional candidates for City Council seats filed to run. In Ward 3, Melony Armstrong qualified as a Democrat to face the winner of the Republican primary between incumbent Jim Newell and challenger Liz Dawson.

James Matkin also filed this week to face incumbent Nettie Y. Davis and Mark A. Hardin in the Democratic primary.

In Ward 1, incumbent Markel Whittington, a Republican, will face Daniel Owens in the primary.

For the open seat currently occupied by Pitts in Ward 2, Republicans Lynn Bryan and Tom Carr will face off in the primary.

In Ward 5, Buddy Palmer will challenge incumbent Jonny Davis in the Republican primary.

The race with the most candidates, Ward 6, has incumbent Mike Bryan facing Tom Hewitt, Wayne Chrestman and James Jenkins.

robbie.ward@journalinc.com

Candidate fields set in Lee County Municipal Elections.

The deadline for candidates to qualify for municipal elections passed Friday.Municipal positions in Nettleton, Baldwyn and Shannon won’t be decided in the general election.

Since all candidates qualified as Democrats, they will all run in the Democratic primary on May 7. There will be no party primary in Verona,

Plantersville, Sherman and Guntown since all municipal candidates qualified as independents.

The general election is June 4.Here are the qualifiers. An asterisk denotes incumbents:

SALTILLO

Party primaries will be held May 7. One mayoral candidate and five aldermen from each party will advance to the general election.

Mayor

Steve Brooks - D

Daniel Jennings - D

Rex Smith - R

Paul Turner - R

Aldermen

Jonathan Parham - D

Billy Flanagin - D

Jewell Webb* - D

Danny McCarley - D

Terry Glidewell* - D

Wayne Dixon - D

Donald Cullum - R

Scott Knight* - R

Craig Sanders - R

Brad Woodcock* - R

Steve Malone - R

Brett Pearce - R

Heath Gobbell - R

VERONA

All qualified asindependents.

Mayor

Robert Trice

Bobby Williams*

Alderman Ward 1

Eddie Tucker*

Alderman Ward 2

Margaret Baker*

Alderman Ward 3

Jessie Gilmore*

Alderman Ward 4

Julian Riley*

Alderman at large

Brenda Spurgon*

NETTLETON

All candidates qualified as Democrats.

Mayor

R.V. Adams*

Jimmy Taylor

Police chief

AD Heard

Paul Garrett

Charles Mullens

Billy Holey

City clerk

Dana Burcham*

Parker Thornton

Beverly Hester

Alderman at large

Kirk Lindsey*

Mem Riley

Alderman Ward 1

Mike Fulco

Charles Morris*

Alderman Ward 2

Mark Burroughs

Gail Senter*

GC Rhudy

Alderman Ward 3

Iry L. Gladney

Marty Langley

Alderman Ward 4

Larry Guess*

Jerry Rakestraw

SHANNON

All candidates qualified as Democrats.

Mayor

Ronnie Hallmark*

Willie Bob Gates

Bill Curtis

Alderman at large

Carl Trice*

Alderman Ward 1

Brian Thompson*

Alderman Ward 2

Joy McCord*

Debbie Johnson

Alderman Ward 3

Dan Garrett

James Oswalt

Lucie Blair

Jack Ivy

Alderman Ward 4

Paul Lyles*

BALDWYN

All candidates qualified as Democrats.

Mayor

Michael James*

Jim Grisham

Roslynn Clark Copeland

City clerk

Nan Nanney*

Police chief

Nickey Owen

Troy Agnew

Don Rowan*

Chris Barnett

Jim Bishop

Greg Mitchell

Jimmy Waters

Alderman at large

Jason McKay*

Alderman Ward 1

Virginia Grice*

Tony Welch

Steve Scales

Lee Bowdry

Alderman Ward 2

Tom Nelson*

Alderman Ward 3

Richard Kohlheim*

Barbara Tyes Lee

Alderman Ward 4

Shelaine Pennington

Ricky Massengill

PLANTERSVILLE

All independents.

Mayor

Gloria Holland*

Harold Arrington

Alderman

Renee Morris*

Chink Freeman

Charles Dale Heard

Sextus Shannon*

Vicki Rigby*

Ketrick Marion*

SHERMAN

All candidates qualified as independents.

Mayor

Ben Logan*

Aldermen

Martha Swindle*

Wayne Bullock *

Ann Simmons*

Jessie McBride

Mike Swords

Randy Bolen

Todd McDonald*

GUNTOWN

All candidates qualified as independents.

Mayor

Bob Davis

Gary E. (Bud) Herring

Alderman

Terry Robbins

Petey J. Hopkins*

Chad McMahan

Greg Caigle*

George (Mickey)

Kuykendall*

Jeff Herring*

Brent (Squirrel) Lindsey

Paula Jean Barnett