The moment of truth for runoff candidates is Tuesday, and by sometime Tuesday night it will be all over but the shouting or crying for candidates in the primary runoff elections.

Early voting was heavy for a runoff, with 1,352 Republicans voting through the close of voting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Upshur County Clerk Brandy Lee said Friday morning.

She said that her office “really didn’t know” why the early vote is so heavy.

“We are not supposed to ask (voters who they voted for), and we don’t,” she said.

The contested race for the GOP nomination for County Sheriff, tantamount to election since there is no Democratic Party candidate, between incumbent Anthony Betterton and challenger Larry Webb has drawn much interest, as have other local races.

In the only other countywide race, Cynthia Ridgeway is vying with Chuck Mears for county Republican Party chairperson.

Incumbent Pct. 1 Comm. James Crittenden is challenged by Paula Gentry for reelection.

In the race for Pct. 3 Constable, Stanley Jenkins faces John Cannon Jr.

Seeking the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate are Ted Cruz and David Dewhurst.

Other statewide GOP runoff races include:

• Railroad Commissioner, Christi Craddick, Warren Chism.

• Railroad Commissioner, unexpired term— Barry Smitherman, Greg Parker.

• Justice, Supreme Court, Place 4— David Medina, John Devine.

The Republican ballot also has six contested races for GOP precinct chairmanships, including a 4-way battle in Pct. 2, which is in the East Mountain area. (Precinct chair numbers are not necessarily the same as the county commissioner precinct number for an area; for example, East Mountain is in county commissioner Pct. 1.)

In precincts other than those six, the candidate for precinct chairman is either unopposed or there is no candidate for the office.

In Pct. 2, candidates include Jesse Loffer, Joy Connery, Julie Chandler and DeBorah Storm Cloud Bankston.

The other contested races include current precinct chairman Madaline Barber and Wayne Oney in Pct. 3; current precinct chairman Troy “Cotton” Jones and Deborah Hodge, Pct. 4; Richard Ridgeway and Molly Cummings, Pct. 7; Laurie Fisher and LeNeta Jeter, Pct. 10; and Jackie Lum and Linda Ambrose, Pct. 11.

Precinct chairmen comprise the majority of the county’s GOP Executive Committee.

The only contested statewide Democratic Party runoff is for U.S. Senate, between Paul Sadler and Grady Yarbrough.

For the first time in memory, there are no Democratic candidates for Upshur County offices.

If you voted in the Democratic Party primary May 29 or participated in the Libertarian Party convention, you cannot vote in the Republican runoff.

Polling locations include:

• Rock Building, 301 E. Butler St. and U.S. 271 S., Gilmer; for Voting Pcts. 1, 19, 20, and 21;

• East Mountain Community Center, off FM 1845; Pct. 2;

• Glenwood Water Department, 6792 FM 726 S.; Gilmer, Pct. 3;

• South Diana, New Diana ISD Auditorium, Hwy. 154 East; Pct. 4;

• First Assembly of God Church, 1919 U.S. 271 North (N. Wood St.), Gilmer; Pcts. 5 and 18;

• North Diana, Walnut Creek Baptist Church, 1969 Sego Lily Dr.; Pct. 6;

• Ore City, Ore City Hall, 302 W. Main St., Ore City; Pct. 7;

• Ewell, Union Ridge Community Center, FM 593; Pct. 8.

• Big Sandy School, 401 Wildcat Drive, Big Sandy; Pct. 9;

• Pritchett Community Center, 1092 FM 1404 off Hwy. 155, Pct. 10;

• Rocky, Gladewater Former Student Association Building, 2509 Hendrix St., Gladewater, Pcts. 11 and 16;

• Northwest Gilmer, Upshur County Library, 702 Tyler St. Gilmer, Pcts. 12 and 17;

• Union Hill School Ag. Building, 2197 FM 2088, Gilmer, Pct. 13;

• Simpsonville Fire Station, FM 556 West of FM 2088, Pct. 14;

• Rosewood Baptist Church, 8261 Arrowood Road (at South Impala Road), Gilmer, Pct. 15.

Polls at all of the locations will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.