BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Candidate filing opened Nov. 5 for local offices that will appear on the 2026 ballot, with early filings showing a mix of crowded contests and largely uncontested races across Martin County.

As of Monday, 26 candidates had registered to run for county and city offices.

Sheriff

The most competitive race to date is for sheriff, where five Republican candidates have filed.

Incumbent Sheriff John Herman Kirk, 57, of Inez, is seeking another term.

Kristopher Lang, 65, of Lovely is running for sheriff.

Anthony J. Preece, 58, of Inez is a candidate for sheriff.

William Harvey Preece III, 45, of Beauty, has registered to run for sheriff.

Austin Harless, 31, of Debord, is running for sheriff.

Judge/Executive

Incumbent Judge/Executive Lon “Doc” Lafferty, 68, of Inez, has filed as a Republican and is currently unopposed.

Several constitutional offices feature incumbent candidates with no challengers filed so far.

County Attorney

Incumbent County Attorney Melissa Fannin Phelps, 43, of Tomahawk, has filed as a Republican.

County Clerk

County Clerk Susie Skyles, 62, of Beauty, is another incumbent unopposed on the Republican ticket.

Coroner

Incumbent Coroner Chris Todd, 53, of Inez, has also filed as a Republican unopposed.

Jailer

Three Republican candidates have filed for the jailer position:

Billy Lee Patrick, 50, of Debord is running for jailer.

Nicholas “Nick” Marcum, 44, of Inez, is a candidate for jailer.

Buddy Stacy, 49, of Lovely, registered as a candidate for jailer.

Magistrate, District 1

Incumbent Magistrate Cody Slone, 34, of Inez, has filed as a Republican and is unopposed.

Magistrate, District 2

Incumbent Magistrate Kermit Howell, 42, of Inez, is running as a Republican.

Amanda J. Jude, 44, of Debord, is also a Republican candidate for District 2 Magistrate.

Magistrate, District 3

District 3 has drawn the largest magistrate field, with four Republican candidates, all of Tomahawk, filing:

Incumbent Tracy Spence, 52.

Chris Blackburn, 53.

Craig Keagan Haney, 47.

James Derrick Stepp, 47.

Magistrate, District 4

In District 4, two Republican candidates for magistrate include:

Incumbent Joseph Hunt Jr., 47, of Pilgrim.

Eric Jude, 49, of Pilgrim.

Magistrate, District 5

Incumbent Magistrate Ronald Workman, 72, of Warfield, has filed as a Republican and is unopposed.

Constable, District 1

Bobby Gene Maynard, 71, of Inez, is a Republican candidate for constable in District 1.

Constable, District 3

Kody Thomas Rainwater, 49, of Grassy, is a Republican running for constable in District 3.

Constable, District 4

Incumbent Constable James Brad Preece, of Pilgrim, is a Republican running for constable in District 4.

City of Warfield

At the city level, incumbent Warfield Mayor Michael Hinkle, 58, has filed as a nonpartisan candidate for another term.

Candidate filing remains open through Jan. 9 for those who must run in the Primary Election. Expect changes to this list.

Watch for updates as new candidates enter the races.