upstate — The candidates vying to lead the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office over the next four years will participate in a debate next week in Easley.

Current sheriff Rick Clark and his challenger, former assistant sheriff Tim Morgan, will debate next Tuesday, May 31, at 6 p.m. at Tri-County Technical College’s Easley campus, located at 1774 Powdersville Road.

Clark and Morgan will face off in the June 14 Republican primary. Morgan served as a longtime assistant sheriff under former sheriff David Stone, who Clark defeated in the 2012 Republican primary.

The event is open to the public. The debate is one of two sponsored by the college’s criminal justice department featuring the sheriff candidates in both Pickens and Anderson counties.

Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper and challengers Jeremy Pickens and Chad McBride will participate in a debate next Thursday, June 2, at 6 p.m. at the Anderson campus, located at 511 Michelin Blvd.

Candidates will be asked questions by subject matter experts followed by questions from audience members. Questions can be e-mailed in advance to criminaljustice@tctc.edu.

For more information, contact Dr. Chris McFarlin, program coordinator for the TCTC criminal justice program, at (864) 646-1327 or cmcfarli@tctc.edu.