By Zach Hester, Reporter • zach@southerntorch.com

FORT PAYNE, Ala. — Municipal elections are heating up in the City of Fort Payne as election day draws closer. 

Incumbent City Council President Brian Baine is unopposed in the mayoral race and therefore, will not appear on Tuesday’s ballot.

A total of 18 candidates qualified to run for Fort Payne City Council. In the first round of voting, residents may select upwards of five (5) candidates for the race. Unless one candidate reaches 50 percent in the first round, a runoff will be held between the top 10 candidates on Tuesday, October 6. 

The following candidates qualified to run for city council: Jimmy Ballinger, Lynn Brewer (incumbent), Johnny Eberhart (incumbent), Randall Ham, Wade Hill (incumbent), Roger Ingle, Kerry Jones, Jeff Koch (not pictured), Charlene Magbie, Ken Mayo, Celeste Ragan, Diego Reynoso, Angie Shugart, John Smith, Phillip Smith, Leslie Vaughn, Walter Watson, and Neal Wooten.

The City of Fort Payne, along with the rest of DeKalb County’s municipalities, will hold citywide elections on Tuesday, August 25. 

For full election night coverage, please tune in to Southern Torch on Facebook on Tuesday night as we relay results across DeKalb County in real-time.