GOP primaries develop for Perry County sheriff; 116th, 118th House

Two candidates for the Republican nomination for Perry County sheriff filed nominating petitions on Monday, meaning the first contested primary election has been identified in the young electoral season.

In all, five candidates for Perry County office filed petitions on Monday, the first day of filing for the June 28 primary election. Filing closes at 5 p.m. next Monday, March 14. Primary election winners will go on to compete in the November general election.

John Hopkins, a former Perry County Sheriff's deputy who now works in the sheriff's office, was the first to file for sheriff on Monday, and will be listed first on the ballot. Hopkins, a Republican, lives out by Du Quoin City Lake.

Listed second on the sheriff's ballot will be Chad Howard of Pinckneyville, a Republican and Willisville police officer. The office carries a four-year term. No Democrats filed for sheriff on Monday.

Perry County Clerk Robert Kelly of Pinckneyville filed Monday to hold onto the seat in his own right. Kelly, a Republican Perry County commissioner since 2018, was appointed county clerk in October when clerk John Batteau decided to retire. No other candidate filed Monday to challenge Kelly. The seat will be for a two-year term only, and will be re-elected in 2024.

Two Perry County commissioner seats will be up for election in 2022, one held by Dallas Bigham of Du Quoin and the other by Joe Folden, who was appointed to the seat by Robert Kelly when he took over as county clerk. Bigham, a Democrat, did not file for re-election Monday but is expected to.

Folden's seat, meanwhile, will be elected for two years in November, to complete kelly's original six-year commissioner term. Folden, a Republican, filed on Monday to run.

County Treasurer Jodi Koester of Coulterville, has held the seat since she took over for Mary Jane Craft in April 2021. A Republican, Koester's office will be elected for two years

Perry County Assessor Josh Smith filed Monday to run for a full four-year term. He replaced the former assessor, Rebecca Winters, but her term would have been up in 2022. Therefore, the seat will be elected to a four-year term.

Candidates are filing their petitions at the Perry County Clerk's Office in Pinckneyville. The office closes at 4 p.m. all this week, but next Monday it will stay open an extra hour, til 5 p.m.

<b>Congress</b>

12th District

Mike Bost, Murphysboro (R)

15th District

Mary Miller, Oakland (R)

<b>State legislature</b>

State Senate District 58

Terri Bryant, Murphysboro (R)

State Senate District 59

Dale Fowler, Murphysboro (R)

House District 115

No filings on Monday.

House District 116

Gary Carter, Fairfield (R)

Dave Severin, Benton (R)

House District 117

Patrick Windhorst, Metropolis (R)

House District 118

Paul Jacobs, Pomona (R)

Aaron Robert Smith, Marion (R)