Monday, the first day of candidate qualifying for the May 22 election, yielded two confirmed contests for seats on the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners and one for the Board of Education.

Brown vs. Rushing

In addition to Timmy Rushing, who had announced last week, Carlos Brown qualified as a candidate for District 2, Seat D on the Board of Commissioners.

Brown is now self-employed, operating a small lawn-care business. He retired after 21 years in the military, has a degree in industrial management from Georgia Southern University and also worked for years in the university's department of housing. He said he plans to focus on improving dirt roads and the city-county relationship.

He and his wife of 31 years, Pearl Brown, have long been local and area leaders in the NAACP.

Timmy Rushing is also self-employed, in tree stump removal, rental property, construction and farming. He has a degree in mechanical tool and die from Swainsboro Technical College. Last week he identified public safety, solid waste and road improvements as areas he wants to address.

He is a nephew of the Seat 2-D incumbent, Commissioner Robert Rushing, who is not seeking re-election.

Because Brown is running as a Democrat and Timmy Rushing as a Republican, this race would go straight to the Nov. 6 general election, unless another candidate qualifies this week to create a May 22 primary contest in either party.

Jones vs. Gibson

But there will be a primary race with at least two candidates for Board of Commissioners Seat 2-B, where both challenger Sid Jones, who announced last week, and incumbent Commissioner Walter Gibson qualified as Republicans.

McCollar vs. Newkirk

Meanwhile, a race emerged for the District 4 seat on the Bulloch County Board of Education when both Adrianne McCollar, who had previously announced, and April C. Newkirk paid their fees and filed qualifying paperwork Monday. Incumbent District 4 board member Steve Hein confirmed last week that he will not seek re-election.

Both Newkirk and McCollar are Georgia Southern University employees. Newkirk, who gave her occupation as "educator" on the qualifying form, is an instructor in the university's Department of Teaching and Learning. She indicated that she has been a resident of Georgia for 37 consecutive years, of Bulloch County for 18 years and of BOE District 4 for two years.

McCollar, also a Bulloch resident for almost 20 years, is Georgia Southern's facilities superintendent. Her husband is Statesboro Mayor Jonathan McCollar.

So far unopposed

For Board of Commissioners District 1, Seat B, incumbent Commissioner Anthony Simmons was the only candidate to sign up Monday.

As of Monday, incumbent Board of Education members Mike Sparks, from District 2, and Jimmy "Jay" Cook Jr., from District 6, were the only candidates to qualify for those seats. No one signed up Monday for the school board in District 5, but incumbent Glennera Martin said earlier that she plans to seek re-election.

Qualifying in the Board of Elections area of the County Annex, 113 N. Main St., continues daily during office hours this week, but closes at noon Friday.