Qualifying continues today and a new candidate has stepped up to take part in the Cedartown City Commission race.

Ryan Casey, a Cedartown High grad, Army vet, and employee at Cedartown’s Home Depot, announced that he planned to seek a City Commission seat last week on Facebook. He made his candidacy on the ballot official this morning when he qualified for the City Commission at the Board of Elections office.

If he runs without opposition, he and Commissioner Dale Tuck will be on the ballot unopposed and Cedartown will not require an election for the upcoming cycle.

Casey is the fifth candidate to qualify for office this week as the Municipal Elections season gets underway in earnest. Local residents in Cedartown, Rockmart and Aragon are all expected to head to the polls in November to decide on the City Commission and City Council races, along with a race for Aragon Mayor and Rockmart Mayor.

Thus far, the only race that is contested is the race for Mayor of Rockmart, with incumbent Mayor Sherman Ross being challenged by former Council Member James Payne.

Here’s the full statement from Casey’s posting on FB:

My name is Ryan Casey, and this evening I’d like to let you all know that I am going to be a candidate for Cedartown City Commissioner in the November election.

I am a graduate of Cedartown High School, class of 2013, a proud US Army Veteran, having served as a forward observer in an infantry company from 2014-2018, as well as a local small business owner. I am currently employed at the Cedartown Home Depot, where I have had the honor of planning and implementing several projects in our community and it has been my privilege to be afforded the opportunity that has enabled me to engage in the projects that we have been a part of, both past and present.

I have a love of service, and that has inspired me to attend city commission meetings over the past several months, discussing local issues and ways of addressing them with citizens, administrators, and commissioners.

It would be an honor to serve as one of your Cedartown City Commissioners, and I look forward to meeting you, discussing our community, and earning your vote in November.

Check back for more coverage of this week’s qualifying period as more candidates get on the ballot.