Time is ticking away on potential municipal candidate’s window to qualify for the office of mayor and seats on the Atmore City Council, and as of press time Tuesday four new names have been added to the list of those who have gone through the next step towards election.

Larry Houck, who announced his candidacy for city council District 4 early in the campaign season, and Sandra Gray, who never formally announced, have both added their names to the list of qualifiers.

Gray, a prominent member of the Concerned Citizens of Atmore has been a voice over the last several weeks in Atmore, calling for a crackdown on crime following the shooting death of her nephew, Kendrick Dortch, in late June.

Gray joins Gregg Akins, Michael Arnold and Chris Harrison in the race for the council seat in District 5, currently held by mayoral candidate Jim Staff.

Houck will face Susan Smith in District 4, where Phil Johnson has also qualified to run. Johnson is the director of the Greater Escambia Council on the Arts, the associate pastor and music director of Robinsonville Baptist Church, an instructor at Jefferson Davis Community College and a staff writer for the Atmore News.

The final name to be added to the growing list of candidates this week was incumbent Cornell Torrence, who currently sits as the councilman for District 2. Incumbents Webb Nall, District 1, and Chris Walker, District 3, have also qualified and are, so far, running unopposed.

In the race for mayor, all three candidates who announced intentions to run qualified last week. So far, Lloyd Albritton, Bernard Bishop and Staff have entered the race.