ORANGE BEACH, AL – Qualifying for municipal elections opened on Tuesday, July 5 and all six incumbents in Orange Beach are planning on running again.

Municipal elections will take place in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores on Aug. 23. Candidates have until July 19 to file papers to run in the elections. Of the sitting council members and two mayors 10 are seeking reelection. Carolyn Doughty in Place 2 in Gulf Shores will not seek her fourth term and Place 1 Orange Beach Councilwoman Annette Mitchell was appointed to her seat in July of 2014 and has said she will seek election to the seat.

At press time two candidates in each city had already qualified for the vote, incumbents Mayor Tony Kennon and Councilman Jeff Boyd in Orange Beach and Councilman Steve Jones and council candidate Kevin Corcoran in Gulf Shores.

In Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft says he is planning a formal announcement to come sometime before the closing of qualifying, July 19. Steve said he will be seeking a third term in Place 5 and Phillip Harris in Place 3 will be seeking his fourth term.

Incumbent Joe Garris in Place 1 has said he’ll run for a fourth term on the council and Jason Dyken in Place 4 also intends to seek a third term.

Garris and Harris were the only two of the six who faced opposition in 2012.

Mayor Pro Tem and Place 2 councilmember Doughty is not seeking reelection to what would be her fourth term. Corcoran, a long time Realtor in South Baldwin County, has announced his intention to run for Place 2.

In Orange Beach Kennon said he will be seeking his third term as mayor and council members Joni Blalock in Place 5 and Jeff Silvers in Place 4 will be seeking their fourth terms.

Boyd in Place 2 and Jerry Johnson in Place 3 will be seeking their second terms. Place 1 holder Mitchell is also planning to run for the seat she currently holds. She was appointed in 2014 to finish the term of Al Bradley who passed away in July of 2014.

Johnson defeated incumbent Pattisue Simpson for Place 3 in Orange Beach and Boyd defeated incumbent Brett Holk and challenger Ty Fleming Sr. in Place 2.

Al Bradley defeated Iris Ethridge to fill Place 1 in 2012 after incumbent Ed Carroll decided not to run again.

So far no other non-incumbents have announced intentions of running in either city other than Corcoran in Gulf Shores.