The Bryan County election season is about to leave social media and enter the real world.

Qualifying begins at 9 a.m. Monday for candidates for four open seats on the Bryan County Board of Education, including that of chairman, and three on the Bryan County Commission.

The school board chairman’s seat is held by social worker Amy Murphy of Richmond Hill, who’s served on the school board since 2012 and was elected chairman in 2019.

Also open on the BOE is the District 1 seat, where Pembroke’s Pamela Gunter is the incumbent; the District 4 seat is held by Marianne Smith of Richmond Hill and the District 5 seat is held by Richmond Hill’s David Schwartz. All are Republicans.

While school board elections in the recent past have been relatively mundane, this year could be different as groups such as TIE – Truth in Education – and Forward Coalition and its’ Schools in Action committee seek to influence local education policies.

And though some candidates have announced their plans on social media, only challenger Toriano Gilbert, a Liberty County educator who lives in Richmond Hill, has reached out to the News so far to announce his candidacy. He is seeking the District 5 post on the BOE.

County Commission seats representing Districts 2, 4 and 5 are also up for grabs. Wade Price is the District 2 incumbent; Andrew Johnson is the District 4 incumbent but will not run again after he was appointed to finish out the term of Brad Brookshire, who stepped down after moving to another address in South Bryan outside his district; and Dr. Gene Wallace, a retired Richmond Hill dentist, is the incumbent in District 5. All are Republicans.

Qualifying fees are $99 for school board members and $255 for county commissioners.

Qualifying ends Friday, March 11, at 5 p.m.

Candidates running as a member of a political party must qualify with their party, according to Bryan County Elections Supervisor Cindy Reynolds.

Candidates running as an independent must qualify at the county’s election office at the court house in Pembroke, Reynolds said.

For more information on qualifying or local elections visit www.bryancountyga.org.