Voters in four Alabama counties will begin the process Tuesday of filling two vacant seats in the Alabama House.
Six candidates will be on the ballot for the Republican primary for the House District 34 seat in Blount and Jefferson counties that was vacated when Republican Rep. Elwyn Thomas of Oneonta resigned to become director of the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission. There is not a Democratic Party candidate. The GOP candidates are are attorney Bill Burns of Remlap, cattle farmer and county employee Mark Butler of Nectar, asphalt contracting company sales representative Joe Hughes of Remlap, bank marketing executive Chris Latta of Oneonta, insurance agency owner and former House member Jim Murphree of Oneonta and retiring Blount County Probate Judge David Standridge of Hayden.
In the Republican primary for the House District 30 seat in Etowah and St. Clair counties, Etowah County Board of Education member Mack Butler of Rainbow City faces insurance businessman Rob McHugh of Steele.
The winner will face the lone Democrat in the race, attorney Beth McGlaughn of Southside in the Dec.11 general election.
The House District 30 seat was vacated when Republican Rep. Blaine Galliher of Rainbow City resigned to be the governor's legislative director.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.