County Judge Rick Davis announced he won't seek a fifth term hours before the filing period for candidates running for state, county and township office in the May 22 preferential primaries and nonpartisan general election opened Thursday.
He hopes to leave his legacy to District 12 Justice of the Peace Darryl Mahoney, who filed for the Republican nomination to succeed Davis. Mahoney is a five-term JP who has served as chairman of the Garland County Quorum Court's Public Works and Buildings/Environmental Committee for eight years.
"This has been a really hard and long decision, but I'm very comfortable with the decision now knowing that a strong, well-qualified candidate will be filing now that I'm not running," Davis said in a Thursday morning email. "(Mahoney) is a candidate who I can easily support who will work well with the Quorum Court to continue the progress within the framework that we've worked hard to build."
Davis said he'll retire when his fourth term concludes at the end of the year. He was elected in 2010 and owned an underground utility company prior to taking office.
"Life is short," Davis said in a news release. "I'm getting older and it's time to spend more time with family and friends and work on the bucket list. Knowing my personal position all along that elected public service would be a time-limited period for me and not a career, I never really planned on staying as long as I did.
"The years passed quickly and there just seemed like we were making good progress with too many projects to complete and never a good time to jump off."
Mahoney said continuing public works initiatives, such as road improvements that will be financed by the $54.6 million bond issue voters approved in a 2016 special election, championed by Davis is his motivation for seeking the county's top executive office.
"I've worked a long time with Rick on the quorum court," he said. "We've got a lot of projects started that I want to see through. There's a lot of stuff I want to follow up on. I've got some big shoes to fill. It's going to be a challenge, but I'm ready to give it a try."
Mahoney served on the quorum court from 2005 to 2010 and returned to represent District 12, which includes Mountain Pine, in 2015. He started Burks & Mahoney Wrecker Service in 1985 and sold the towing company in 2011. He currently owns an excavating business.
"I've lived my whole life here, and it's been good to me," Mahoney said. "I enjoy giving something back. Being on the quorum court has been a great pleasure. Being county judge would be even better."
Changes to the state election code have doubled the terms for all eight county executive offices to four years. JPs and constables will continue serving two-year terms.
The filing period ends March 1 at noon. Early voting begins May 7, and April 23 is the voter registration deadline.
The following candidates filed Thursday for the May primaries:
Republicans
Shannon Sharp -- assessor (incumbent)
Jeannie Pike -- circuit clerk (incumbent)
Sarah Smith -- county clerk (incumbent)
Darryl Mahoney -- county judge
Stuart Smedley -- coroner (incumbent)
Rebecca Dodd-Talbert -- tax collector (incumbent)
Tim Stockdale -- treasurer (incumbent)
George Pritchett -- JP District 3
Jimmy Young -- JP District 4 (incumbent)
John Paul Faulkner -- JP District 7 (incumbent)
Jason Braziel -- JP District 8 (incumbent)
Matt McKee -- JP District 9 (incumbent)
James Sorrells -- JP District 10
Jeremy Brown -- JP District 12
Richard McGrew -- JP District 12
Larry Raney -- JP District 13 (incumbent)
Bill Carpenter -- Hale Township constable (incumbent)
Steve Thacker -- Lake Hamilton Township constable
Democrats
Dave Reagan -- JP District 1 (incumbent)
Thomas Anderson -- JP District 2 (incumbent)
Esther Dixon -- JP District 3
Ray Stinson -- JP District 4
Ray Owen Jr. -- JP District 6 (incumbent)
Anne Showalter -- JP District 10
Local on 02/23/2018