There was a flurry of activity on the first day candidates could file for the vacant Cherokee County Council District 7 seat - but it was only on the GOP portion of the ballot.

Tracy McDaniel, Dennis Stroupe and Brad Upchurch paid their filing fees on Friday, according to the Cherokee County Republican Party boss Steven Blanton.

All three candidates are well-known, active in the Blacksburg community and support conservative values.

McDaniel works in his family's construction business and was educated locally at Blacksburg High School and Limestone College.

Stroupe works for Duke Energy and serves as the second vice chairman of the Cherokee County Republican Party.

Upchurch is a life-long resident of Blacksburg who served in a supervisory position with UPS Freight.

Cherokee County School Board trustee Donnie Lee Smith is out of town but is expected to file this week.

Lori Batchler, the daughter-in-law of former District 7 councilman James Batchler who died after a brief illness earlier this month, has yet to file.

Activity was light on the Democratic side on Friday when only William D. Wilson filed for the open seat.

Wilson is a resident of Blacksburg who is a partner in a pressure-washing business.

Two other candidates who said they would run as Democrats, Blacksburg Fire Chief Clay Greer and Thomas Moss, have yet to file, according to Cherokee County Democrat Party Chairman Olin Huffman.

The filing period will end Monday, Sept. 21 at noon.