One is definitely in and one is definitely out.

On Friday Katrina Keith, benefits specialist for the city of Ironton, was the first to file her petition to get on the ballot for the top job in the city.

Keith is one of seven potential candidates in the mayor’s race. Originally the possible field was one more as eight had picked up petitions.

But on Monday Lawrence County Sheriff’s detective Aaron Bollinger said he was not going to run citing his decision to remain with the sheriff’s office.

The others who have picked up are former Ironton mayor, Bob Cleary and Jim Tordiff, David Bush, Donald Roberts, John David Willis and former deputy director of STAR Community Justice Center Joshua Saunders.

With a potentially large field for the office now held by term-limited Rich Blankenship, a candidate must receive 40 percent of the vote to win the office.

If no candidate wins that percentage, the two candidates who receive the most votes will face in a runoff election, according to Mark McCown, vice chair of the county board of elections.

That special election must be 14 days after the regular election. However, the BOE can’t certify the earlier results for at least 10 days after that race.

“If someone votes provisional, they have 10 days to bring in identification or proof that they need to,” McCown said.

The BOE has 21 days after election day to certify the official results.