On the first day of election qualifying, everybody's got competition.

            Monday marked the first day that individuals could register to run for city council in the November elections. Up for grabs this year are Districts 2, 3 and 5, currently filled by Gary Lewis, Will Britt and John Morris respectively.

            So far, five individuals have announced their candidacies.

            Current councilmen John Morris, of District 5, and Gary Lewis, of District 2, have both qualified as candidates for re-election.

            Morris was originally elected in 2001. He also won his re-election bid in 2003.

            Lewis was originally elected in 1998 and won his re-election in 2003.

            City commissioners are elected to four year terms. The terms are staggered so that only three commissioners, or two commissioners and the mayor, are up for election in a given election cycle.

            There are three newcomers that have qualified for the election.

            Nathan Queen has announced his candidacy for District 2. The 26-year-old student and manager of Retriever's Steak Pit has resided in the district for three years and in Statesboro for nine. Queen filed a suit against the city challenging the age requirement to run for mayor.

            Harry "Bubba" Propes is running in District 3, currently held by Will Britt. He is a 45-year-old health care consultant for Pfizer Inc, has lived in Statesboro for 15 years and his district for three years. Though Britt did not qualify Monday, he said earlier this month he intends to run.

            Travis Chance has qualified for election in District 5. He is 29 years old, operates T.L. Chance Inc. and has lived in Statesboro for nine years, seven of those in his district.

            In order to run for city council, you must be 25 years old and have lived in the district in which you wish to run for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the election. There is also a $225 application fee.

            District 2 is situated primarily on the west side of the city. It covers everything west of College Street and run to Williams Street on the north end and Veterans Memorial Parkway to the south.

            District 3 is situated in the center of the city and is bordered by Savannah Ave. on the north, College Street on the west, goes as far east as Gentilly Road and contains the GSU campus to the south.

            District 5 is situated primarily to the east. It is bordered to the north by East Main and runs south to capture the neighborhood near the water treatment plant.

            Qualifying for city council continues this week through 4:30 p.m. Friday, August 31.  Interested parties should see City Clerk Judy McCorkle during business hours to fill out a Notice of Candidacy and Affidavit.

            According to the voter registrar's office, the last day to register to vote in the upcoming city election is October 9th. Citizens can register at the courthouse or when renewing their driver's license. Applications are available on-line at the Georgia Secretary of State's Web site and locally at the library and city hall.