Richmond Republicans, Democrats must file by Feb. 3
A couple more candidates have joined Wayne County’s upcoming election ballot, as a deadline for Richmond’s election looms in early February.
Republicans and Democrats who want to be Richmond’s mayor, common council members or clerk must file required paperwork by noon Feb. 3 to run in the May municipal primary.
One additional candidate filed last week to run in Richmond’s election. Richmond Common Council incumbent Bill Engle, a Democrat, has filed again to represent District 3 north and south of the Glen Miller Park area on the city’s east side.
In addition, one Centerville man filed last week for town council, even though town candidates have until noon Aug. 1 to turn in paperwork.
Dave Cates has filed to fill the Ward 1 vacancy that will be filled Feb. 1 by a Republican caucus. All five Centerville council seats also will be up for election in the fall.
How many signatures does an independent need?
Wayne County’s election board is waiting to see if two Richmond Republican mayor candidates, David Flannery and Shawn O’Conner, withdraw their candidacies by the Feb. 10 deadline. If not, it will conduct a hearing about Republican challenges against them.
GOP Chair Gary Saunders filed the challenges, telling Western Wayne News that neither met the state’s requirement of voting as a Republican in the previous two primary elections.
Two more Republican mayoral candidates facing challenges, David Carpenter and Kevin Fox, already withdrew from the race. Carpenter and Fox have announced plans to file again as independents.
They had not filed as of Friday, but independent and minor party candidates have additional time to get on the fall ballot, compared to Democrats and Republicans, who run in a spring primary.
An independent candidate would need 149 signatures from registered voters to run in Richmond’s municipal election, according to Tara Pegg in Wayne County’s voter registration office. The signature requirement can vary depending on which town or city an independent candidate seeks to represent.
Independent candidates must submit their petitions containing signatures by noon Friday, June 30, so voter registration staff can verify them. Then, by noon July 17, independent and minor party candidates must file a second round of paperwork before they can get on the ballot.
Previously filed
Richmond mayor: Ron Oler (Republican); incumbent Mayor Dave Snow (Democrat)
Richmond clerk: Incumbent Karen Chasteen (D)
Richmond Common Council: District 1 incumbent Doug Goss (D); District 4, Larry Parker (R), already on council in an at-large seat; District 5 incumbent Jeff Locke (D); District 6 incumbent Gary Turner (Republican); At-large: Incumbent Jane Bumbalough (R), Jerry Purcell (R)
Centerville clerk-treasurer: Richard Tincher (R)