Nine people will be competing for four seats on Lehigh County's Board of Commissioners in what is expected to be one of the county's more hotly contested races during the 2015 election.

Of the nine candidates who made their runs official by filing nominating petitions by Tuesday's deadline, five are Republicans, meaning the GOP will have the only contested race in the May 19 primary, barring any last-minute filings not included on a candidate list released by the county late Tuesday afternoon.Also up for grabs this year will be the county's controller, district attorney, sheriff, clerk of judicial records and coroner positions.Following is a brief look at who has filed to run for those seats, according to an unofficial list provided to media.CommissionerThe Republican primary will feature a five-person race that includes three current commissioners Amanda Holt, 32, of Upper Macungie, Brad Osborne, 59, of South Whitehall and Vic Mazziotti, 68, of Allentown along with renowned cyclist Marty Nothstein, 44, of Lowhill Township and former county commissioner Dean Browning, 59, of South Whitehall Township.Holt, Osborne, Mazziotti and Nothstein are running as a slate that is calling itself the "Results Team."The four winners in the primary will advance to the November election to square off against the four winning Democrats.Competing for the Democratic nominations will be another slate of candidates lined up by a political action committee calling itself Citizens for a Better Lehigh County.They are: Dan Hartzell, 63, of South Whitehall Township, a recently retired Morning Call reporter; Joanne Jackson, 68, of Center Valley, a former Allentown school director; Bob Martin, 54, of Upper Macungie, who has worked in marketing and corporate communications; and Hillary A. Smith, 36, of Lower Macungie Township, a freelance copywriter and marketing professional who serves as vice chairwoman of the Lehigh County Democratic Committee.Lehigh County Executive Tom Muller, a Democrat who has been at odds with the GOP-controlled commissioners throughout his time in office, has said he supports the Democratic slate and would contribute to the political committee supporting it.Commissioners are paid $7,000 per year.ControllerThe race for the county's controller seat is shaping up to be a rematch of the 2011 election during which Republican Glenn D. Eckhart defeated Democrat Thomas Slonaker, who was the incumbent at the time. Eckhart won that election with 53 percent of the vote to Slonaker's 47.Both men have filed to run for the seat again and apparently will not have competition in the primary.Eckhart, 47, lives in Salisbury Township. Slonaker, 62, of Whitehall Township, served one term in the office before his loss to Eckhart. The controller will be paid $66,300 in 2016.District AttorneyLongtime District Attorney Jim Martin, a Republican, may not have competition in the primary or general election, barring campaigns by write-in or independent candidates. Martin was the only candidate to file a nominating petition for the position by Tuesday afternoon.Martin, 69, of Center Valley, has been the district attorney since 1998.SheriffThree people all law enforcement officers will be vying to replace longtime Sheriff Ronald Rossi, who is in his 24th year and is not seeking reelection.On the Democratic side, Edward Zucal, an Allentown police sergeant and part-time deputy coroner, will be squaring off with Jeremy Rossi no relation to the sheriff a Northampton County deputy sheriff.Zucal, 57, lives in Allentown. Rossi, 34, lives in Alburtis.The winner in the primary will likely take on Republican Joe Hanna, 58, of Lower Macungie Township, who is unopposed in the primary. Hanna is a Lehigh County detective who served 34 years in the Allentown police force. The sheriff will be paid $66,300 in 2016.Clerk of Judicial RecordsIncumbent Democrat Andrea E. Naugle, who has served in the position since 2008, apparently faces no competition from her party or the GOP. Naugle, 60, of Allentown, was unopposed in the 2011 election. The position pays $66,300 in 2016.CoronerLongtime coroner Scott M. Grim, a Democrat, was the lone candidate to file nominating papers for the job that will pay $66,300 next year. Grim, who has served in the position since 1997, faced no opposition in the 2011 election. Grim, 55, lives in Allentown.Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC