We urge every Shelby County resident to make time to vote in the upcoming political primaries for state and federal offices June 1.

With that in mind, here are our endorsements for the people we think should fill those roles. There were some races in which we didn’t feel it was necessary to endorse a candidate

For the Republican nominee for governor, we endorse Bradley Byrne. Through Byrne’s numerous appearances in Shelby County, we’ve come to realize Byrne has strong plans for education and ethics reform and is focused on creating jobs — all of which are essential for Alabama to improve the quality of citizens’ lives.

Byrne also is doubly impressive because of the work he’s done with the two-year college system. He has a history of reform and is strong enough to take on the state’s ethics problems.

For the Democratic nominee for governor, we endorse Artur Davis, who has shown he is an intelligent gubernatorial candidate capable of guiding Alabama to a better place. Davis, who is also focused on jobs, schools and ethics reform, is a gifted leader and a hard worker.

We endorse Luther Strange for the role of attorney general. Strange will work hard to build strong relationships with local law enforcement and district attorneys. Shelby County District Attorney Robby Owens was the first district attorney in the state to endorse Strange, and we’d like to join Owens in that regard.

Richard Shelby and Spencer Bachus have done an excellent job in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, respectively. We feel their track records are strong enough for them to each get another term working for our state.

We want to congratulate our candidates from Shelby County, who have worked hard to bring attention to myriad issues from across the county and state. We thank you for your hard work during the campaign season.