City Clerk Walter Osborne became the second candidate in the chancery clerk’s race this week, submitting paperwork to the circuit clerk’s office Friday.

Osborne, 51, worked in the chancery clerk’s office for 16 years as an accounting systems analyst before his appointment as city clerk in 1999. He filed as a Democrat and his name will appear on primary ballots Aug. 2, as will that of retired health worker Donna Hardy, who is running as a Republican.

The clerk’s office maintains records for chancery courts and boards of supervisors. Statutory duties include recording board minutes, preparing the claims docket and county payroll, and recording and storing deeds, land records and documents received from the court.

Qualifying runs through March 1 for county and statewide races and June 1 for legislative offices. The general election is Nov. 8.

Offices for governor and lieutenant governor will lead off the ballot later this year, with local races including the entire board of supervisors and sheriff.

Among the area’s state lawmakers, Rep. Alex Monsour, R-Vicksburg, filed papers this week. State Rep. George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg, and state Sen. Briggs Hopson III expect to run for re-election. Flaggs said Friday he’ll wait until after county and district population data from the 2010 Census is released in mid-February. Population shifts could dictate a second set of elections in 2012.