By JOHN MUNFORD and JOHN THOMPSON

Next week the political landscape for the upcoming primary elections will shape up as qualifying starts next Monday and ends the following Friday at noon.

The biggest shoes to be filled this election will be those of long-serving Fayette County Sheriff Randall Johnson, who is retiring. Another courthouse fixture, Probate Judge Martha Stephenson, is also retiring this year.

The Citizen has obtained a list of newcomers for various seats up for grabs this election from the Fayette County Board of Elections. The following people have filed declarations of intent to accept campaign contributions in the following races:

• Sheriff: Barry Hugh Babb, Richard Wayne Hannah, Thomas James Mindar and David L. Simmons

• Board of Education, Post 1: David R. Houston

• Board of Education, Post 2: Mary K. Bacallao

• Board of Education, Post 3: none

• Board of Commissioners, Post 1: none

• Board of Commissioners, Post 2: none

• Board of Commissioners, Post 3: Lee Hearn

• Probate Judge: Ann Shannon Jackson, Stephen M. Kiser and Jimmy Lee Whitlock.

• Coroner: none

• Solicitor-General, State Court: none

• State Court Judge: none

Incumbents must formally qualify for office again if they wish to run for re-election, according to Brenda Jones of the Fayette County Elections Office.

The three incumbent County Commissioners Post 1 Commissioner Robert Horgan, Post 2 Commissioner Herb Frady and Post 3 Commissioner Peter Pfeifer have all indicated they will seek re-election. Former Peachtree City Councilman Stuart Kourajian is also expected to qualify for the Post 3 Commission race.

In the school board races, Post 1 board member Janet Smola, along with Post 2 board member Terri Smith have already indicated they will seek re-election. Post 3 board member Marion Key remained undecided as of Monday night.

On the state level, U.S. Representative Lynn Westmoreland is up for re-election, along with all 56 state senators and 180 state representatives.