Now we know when Lawrence County will have a new commissioner. The only question remains who will be tabbed to fill that role.

The Republican Central Committee will meet Tuesday to vote on who gets to fill the approximately two years remaining on the term that was vacated when Jason Stephens was elected to take over the auditor post following Ray T. Dutey’s retirement.

The process is simple. To win the nod, a candidate must have a majority of the votes from attending committee members. Although there are 84 members, a key factor could be how many show up to vote.

For example, if only 40 members are there, it would only take 21 votes to win. If a majority isn’t reached the field will then be narrowed to the top vote getters and decided on again.

We urge every committee member to attend and make his or her voice heard.

Once again we hope the committee members put friendships, politics and personal agendas aside in order to choose the most qualified candidate to move Lawrence County forward.

Nothing else matters beyond finding the right fit based on qualifications.

There are a number of key questions the members should ask themselves.

Why are these individuals running for office? What experience do they have? Are they the type of person who sets a good example personally and professionally? Have they attended commission meetings to gain an understanding of the job? Do they have the ability to look past personal ties to do the right thing?

When the Lawrence County Republican Central Committee answers all of those questions, they will have found the right answer for that big question of who should be the next commissioner.