The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

May 6, 2009

Sophia, Mabscott gear up for June elections

By Mannix Porterfield

June is the traditional month for tying the knot, but in Sophia and Mabscott, it promises to be a time of municipal elections.

Sophia comes first, inviting voters to a June 2 balloting to pick the town’s mayor, recorder and five members of council, and all the offices are being contested.

A municipal election is planned one week later in Mabscott, and, unlike Sophia, no one is challenging the incumbents.

Sophia incumbent mayor Harry Taylor is being challenged in the balloting by a former mayor, Danny Barr.

Taylor represents the Progressive Party, and running with him are Linda Hatfield, seeking the recorder’s post, and council candidates Phillip Hightower, Mark Bolen, Debbie Barr, Tom McKinney and Peter Eanes.

On the Citizens Party ballot running with Barr are Ron Mills, who seeks the recorder’s job, and council hopefuls Albert Veneri, Gary Basham, Darlene Murry, John Grear and Mark Trotter.

In addition, Sherry Hatfield is running for town recorder as a write-in candidate.

Mabscott has officially been a town since 1906, and for nearly a fourth of those years, Wayne Houck has been its mayor.

Houck is seeking re-election in the June 9 election to the post he has held 24 years. Over the quarter of a century he has occupied the post, Mabscott has provided both two- and four-year terms for the mayor.

As the head of the town’s Independent Party, Houck is running unopposed, along with fellow members of his party.

Mary Basham is running for recorder, while council seats are being sought by Larry Raines, Jesse Barley, Ron Martin, Carolyn Davis, and James Avis.

No candidates were fielded by the Citizens Party, and the filing period has closed. Additionally, the deadline has passed for filing as a write-in candidate, although voters on election day may write in a candidate other than ones running on the Independent Party.

In both Sophia and Mabscott, the voting hours are from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com

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