NORWICH - Chenango County’s Republican Party primaries slated for Tuesday will be highlighted by races for highway superintendent in Preston, Coventry and Columbus and by council seats in Greene and Sherburne.

In Preston, Superintendent Charles K. Stein, Sr. will be challenged by Glenn W. Degear. Stein has been superintendent since 1997. Previously, he worked for the department for nine years.

Degear, who retired recently after 30 years on his family’s dairy farm, said he has the time to devote to Preston’s taxpayers.

“I’ve always had an interest in our town. I’ve already learned a lot from the people I’ve met about the well-maintained, safe, convenient roads they feel they deserve for all the tax money they’ve spent,” he said. “I would like the opportunity to work for them.”

In Coventry, political newcomer Larry A. Hatton has filed a petition to run against incumbent Keith E. Ives. Ives has held the department’s top job for six years. He said he has “always strived to work within the department’s budget while at the same time giving taxpayers the service they’ve grown to expect.”