Three candidates filed by the deadline to run for the Davis County clerk's office, including two who jumped from the County Commission race to the newly opened clerk's position.
The candidates include incumbent Commissioner Glen E. Saunders and Margene Isom, both Republicans, and Democrat Ella M. Anderson.Filing deadlines for state and county offices were April 15. But incumbent clerk Michael Allphin announced 10 days ago that he was resigning with two years left in his term, and state law requires the post be put on the ballot in the next general election. A special filing period was opened, ending at 5 p.m. Thursday.
Allphin has been named as the new state district court administrator under the recently mandated reorganization of the district courts, which are being taken under the wing of the state and away from the individual counties to administer.
Saunders has also submitted his name to the county Republican party as a possible interim appointee clerk. Three names will be submitted by GOP chairman Steven Smoot to the commissioners, who will appoint one as interim clerk until the November election.
Saunders originally announced he would run for re-election to the commission but when another Republican, Gayle Stevenson, also filed and then the clerk's job became open, Saunders opted to pull out of the commission race and seek the clerk's job.
Anderson, retired after 34 years as a Hill Air Force Base employee, had also filed for the commission seat held by Saunders. She withdrew her candidacy so she wouldn't be opposing a fellow Democrat, Howard Stoddard, and so she could file to give the Democrats a candidate for the clerk's job.
The third candidate, Isom, is a mortgage real estate loan officer making her first run at a political office. Isom has also asked that her name be submitted to the commissioners as an interim clerk candidate.