The deadline to file for county elections has passed, and Harlan County Clerk Wanda Clem said this year’s list of candidates includes several new faces.

While there are only a few races that will occur within the county during the election in November, the city council races appear to have generated plenty of interest.

Clem said more candidates have filed for the Cumberland City Council than any other position, with 16 people vying for the council seats.

“We had several people to file for Cumberland. They had the most,” Clem said. “They had a few more people to file than usual.”

The list of candidates for the Cumberland City Council include: Carl Hatfield, Charles Raleigh, David C. Dixon, Carolyn Elliott, Teresa Raleigh, Sherry Sturgill, Norma Bowyer, Kateena Haynes, Jerry Gilliam, Yvonne Gilliam, Eugene Stagnolia, Edison Creech II, Rhonda Forester, Sue Bird, Brian Blair and Trot Duff.

Cumberland Mayor Loretta Cornett said she is pleased with the interest the city council has garnered.

“I am happy to see that many people file. When a lot of people file, it shows an interest from the community,” Cornett said. “Unless you sit on a council, you really don’t know what it is like sitting in that seat. It is very hard. You have to separate your intelligence from your heart. Sometimes you have to use both.”

Other councils in the Tri-Cities also received interest, including Benham, which had 10 people file for city council. The candidates for Benham City Council include: Ruthie Wilson, Robert “Monk” Falls, George C. Massey Sr., Roy Silver, Wanda C. Humphrey, Doug Robinson, Gary Creech, Eddie Creech, Shelia Hubbard and Howard White.

The city of Lynch had eight candidates filing for city council, including: John S. Adams, Carl Obradovich, Anne Carr, Al Feher, Hal Woods, Bennie Massey, Tracy Bailey and Carl Collins.

The city of Evarts had nine candidates to file for their city council, including: Paul White, Ernie Woodard, James Bill Troutman, Larry Caudill, Jacqueline Renfro, Ronnie King, Preston McLain, Wilburn Pryor and V.M. “Shelly” Shackleford.

Evarts Mayor Burl Fee said it’s important for citizens to get involved in their local government.

“I would like to see everybody get involved and come to the council meetings and see what is going on in the city,” Fee said. “We have a good council, but the more people we have interested in the government of the city, the better.”

Eight candidates have filed for the Harlan City Council, including: M.G. Smith, Charles F. Stephenson, Grady K. Lee, Eric Perry, Gail C. Murray, Lisa Adkisson, C.D. Morton and Jeff Phillips.

Candidates filing for the Loyall City Council seats include: James C. Hagy, Albert Roper, Elvin Smith, Kenneth Colinger, Anne Dean McFarland, Mike Hall and Sherry Skidmore Harrison.

No candidates filed for the Wallins City Commission.

Another race that will be featured on the ballot in Novmember is the District 1 seat on the Harlan County School Board. Larry “Bun” Grubbs will challenge the incumbent, Brenda Henson.

Gary Farmer and Myra Mosley will retain their positions on the school board in districts 2 and 3 respectively, as no one filed to run against them.

There will be one change to the Harlan Independent School Board as Matthew Nunez will replace Becky Goss, who didn’t file for re-election.