The five-term incumbent Warren County Southern District constable will have a first-time office-seeker as an opponent in this year’s elections. Also, a former Vicksburg police officer has become the first to file for Northern District justice court judge.

John Henry Heggins, 40, filed to seek his sixth term as Southern District constable. Victor Worrell, 41, filed to challenge him as qualifying continued for county and state elections this fall. The deadline is March 1.

Heggins owns several businesses but treats his work as constable as a full-time job, he said. He filed to run as a Democratic candidate, which has scheduled an Aug. 5 primary election.

Worrell said he worked for 19 years as a security guard at Vicksburg Chemical Company before it was shut down last year. He now works in the circulation department of The Vicksburg Post. He is running as an independent candidate, so his name will appear on district ballots only in the Nov. 4 general election.

Greg Kurtz, 36, a senior at Mississippi College and a former Vicksburg Police officer, filed to run for Northern District justice court judge. He said he has 14 years of law-enforcement experience, including nine years with the Vicksburg Police Department. Previously, he served as a military policeman in the U.S. Army, he said.

Richard Smith is the district’s incumbent judge. He had not filed for a new term.

Warren County is divided into Northern, Central and Southern districts for the election of justice court judges and constables. One of each is elected from each district. They serve four-year terms.

Constables are charged with keeping the peace by assisting in executing criminal laws for justice court. They are independent law enforcement officers. Though certified for all investigations, their most frequent duty is serving summonses, lawsuits and other court documents.

Justice courts have jurisdiction in all civil cases involving amounts of $2,500 or less. They also handle many preliminary and criminal matters from those parts of the county that are outside the city limits, including misdemeanor cases and preliminary hearings in felony cases.

Others who have filed for candidacy in this fall’s elections are:

Chancery clerk: Dot McGee, 65, Democrat.

Circuit clerk: Shelly Ashley-Palmertree, 33, Democrat; Mike Caruthers, 47, independent; Trey Miller, 36, Republican.

Central District constable: Rudolph Walker, 49, Democrat.

Northern District constable: Eddie Hoover, 40, independent; Glenn McKay, 40, Democrat.

Coroner: John Thomason, 44, independent.

Central District justice court judge: Richard Bradford, 59, Democrat.

Southern District justice court judge: Joe Crevitt, 65, Democrat.

District 1 supervisor: David McDonald, 53, Republican.

District 2 supervisor: Michael Mayfield, 44, Democrat.

District 3 supervisor: Charles Selmon, 43, Democrat.

District 4 supervisor: Carl Flanders, 33, independent; Reginald King, 56, independent; Bill Lauderdale, 55, independent.

District 5 supervisor: Richard George, 53, independent; Joe Wooley, 60, independent.

Tax assessor: Richard Holland, 47, Democrat.

Tax collector: Patricia Simrall, 56, Democrat.

District 54 representative: Chester Masterson, 69, Republican; Alex Monsour, 40, Republican.

District 56 representative: Jep Barbour, 41, Republican.

District 85 representative: Chuck Middleton, 43, Democrat.

District 23 senator: Mike Chaney, 59, Republican.