It is shaping up to be a busy election season for Hall County municipalities.
At the close of the qualifying period Wednesday, contested races for mayor emerged in Clermont, Flowery Branch and Lula. City elections are Nov. 7.
Gainesville
George Wangemann, a fixture on Gainesville City Council since 1986, will have to fend off Albert Reeves and Maria Del Rosario Palacios if he wants to retain his Ward 4 seat. Reeves, who was elected to the Clermont Town Council at age 24 and served a four-year term, owned The Monkey Barrel restaurant and bar downtown before closing it in 2016, while Palacios is an officer and activist with the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.
Qualifiers
Mayor: Danny Dunagan (incumbent)
Ward 1: Sam Couvillon (incumbent)
Ward 4: George Wangemann (incumbent), Albert Reeves and Maria Del Rosario Palacios
Newcomers appear set to join the Gainesville Board of Education as incumbents Brett Mercer and Delores Diaz step down.
Qualifiers
District 4: Heather Ramsey
District 1: Andy Stewart
Flowery Branch
Flowery Branch Mayor Mike Miller also has a contest on his hands. He is being challenged by Michael Justice, who has made a couple of unsuccessful runs at a city council seat.
There’s also a race between incumbent and challenger for Post 5.
Qualifiers
Mayor: Mike Miller (incumbent), Michael Justice
Post 3: Fred Richards (incumbent)
Post 4: Joe Anglin (incumbent)
Post 5: Monica Beatty (incumbent), Amy Farah
Oakwood
The Post 1 incumbent faces a challenger.
Mayor: Lamar Scroggs (incumbent)
Post 1: Sam Evans (incumbent), Stephen Hendrix
Post 2: Pat Jones (incumbent)
Lula
Two challengers in Lula — Jim Grier and Felton Wood — will attempt to end the 16-year hold on power by Mayor Milton Turner. Grier is a Lula businessman and civic leader making his first attempt at elective office. Wood made an unsuccessful run for Lula City Council in 2015.
Qualifiers
Mayor: Milton Turner (incumbent), Jim Grier, Felton Wood
Ward 2: Marvin Moore (incumbent)
Ward 3: Mordecai Wilson (incumbent)
Clermont
Also getting tested is Clermont Mayor Jim Nix, who is being challenged by Steve Reeves. Meanwhile incumbents Margaret Merritt and Kristi Crumpton are not running, leaving newcomers to take their seats.
Qualifiers
Mayor: James Nix (incumbent), Steve Reeves
Ward 3: Marcia Kesler
Ward 4: Donna Reeves, James Castleberry Jr.
Gillsville
Qualifiers
Mayor: Roy Turpin
Post 1: Larry Poole
Post 2: Jefferson Perry
Braselton
Qualifiers
Mayor: Bill Orr (incumbent)
Council District 2: Peggy Slappey (incumbent)
Council District 4: Robert Clark, Hardy Johnson
Buford
Qualifiers
City commissioner: Chris Burge (incumbent), Gary A. Ingram
City Commissioner: Bradley W. Weeks
Board of Education: Patricia Pirkle (incumbent)
Board of Education: J. Bruce Fricks (incumbent)
