Only a handful of Republican candidates have thrown their hats into the ring to become the party’s nominees in the 2006 elections.

With qualifying set to end for both parties on April 8, candidates have roughly two months to announce their intentions and qualify with their respective parties.

The primary election is scheduled for June 6.

Republican candidates were permitted to begin qualifying on Jan. 3. Democratic Party candidates can begin qualifying for their party’s primary on March 4.

Cullman Police Capt. Max Bartlett is the most recent Republican candidate to qualify for the primary.

A 28-year-veteran of the Cullman Police Department, Bartlett, 50, will seek the office of sheriff, currently held by incumbent Democrat Tyler Roden who is serving in his fourth term.

Bartlett joins West Point Mayor Wayne Willingham, who has qualified to run against Associate Cullman County Commissioner Stanley Yarbrough for Place 2 (west district).

Yarbrough and Doug Williams, associate Cullman County Commissioner Place 1 (east side) are the only other candidates to have qualified for the Republican primary.

“There is still plenty of time to qualify and some candidates prefer to wait a while,” said Bill Floyd, Cullman County Republican Party chairman. “By the time the deadline rolls around I anticipate we’ll have a strong slate of candidates on the ballot based on those who have already announced their intentions to seek public office.”

At the state level, voters will select a governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. representative, attorney general, state senators and representatives, Supreme Court justice, four Supreme Court associate justices, three court of civil appeals judges, three court of criminal appeals judges, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, commissioner of agriculture, public service commissioners, state board of education representatives and various circuit court judges.

At the local level, Cullman countians will elect a sheriff, circuit court clerk, probate judge, coroner, superintendent of education, two associate county commissioners, both circuit court judges, four school board representatives (Fairview, Good Hope, Hanceville and Vinemont), a state senator and three state representatives.

To qualify for the Republican primary, local candidates must file qualifying papers with Floyd, as the county chairman, at his office, Bill Floyd Insurance, at 409 Sixth Street in Cullman, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Beginning March 4, Democratic Party candidates must file their qualifying papers with Dean McMinn, county Democratic Party chairman.

“State law mandates that a candidate must file the necessary qualifying papers through their party chairman, who will in turn file the paperwork with the Probate Judge’s office in that respective county,” said Tammy Brown, office manager for the Cullman County Probate Judge’s Office.