While not many folks filed for the open local elected offices during the first days of the filing period, a flurry of activity in the last couple days means there are going to be several contested races in the county.

For instance, both the Blue Earth Area and United South Central School Boards have three open seats. And, while no one filed for the first week and a half, the BEA School Board wound up with five people filing and the USC district has six folks interested in serving on the board.

Filings for city council and school boards and some other local agencies opened on Tuesday, July 28, and closed Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 5 p.m.

Most of the mayor positions are for two year terms, while the council seats and school board positions are for four year terms.

The election will be held this fall on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with newly elected persons taking office on Jan. 1, 2021.

Here are the open positions in Faribault County as well as a partial list of who has filed as of information received by the Register as of presstime this week:

Blue Earth Area School Board The seats held by Frankie Bly, Susan Benz and Jeff Eckles expire and will be open.

Five persons have filed to have their names on the ballot. They are Lindsay Mensing, Jeffrey L. Eckles, Daniel Lundquist, Kim Fenske and Ted Armon.

United South Central School Board The seats of current board members Diana Brooks, Brad Heggen and Mike Schrader will be open.

Diana Brooks, Brad Heggen and Michael Schrader filed, as well as BreAnne Scheid, Aaron Bernstein, and Chris Luetteke.

Elmore The mayor seat held by Bjorn Olson and council seats held by Ruth Kastner and Sue Dickson will be open and on the ballot.

Sue Dickson, Babette Tallberg, Elton Rhoda and Margaret Sunderlin have filed for council and Clara Vereide and Mike Schutta filed for mayor.

Blue Earth The term of mayor Rick Scholtes and council seats of Dan Warner, Glenn Gaylord and John Huisman all expire this year. The mayor position in Blue Earth is for a four year term.

Rick Scholtes has filed for mayor, as has Danny Range. Dan Warner, Glenn Gaylord and John Huisman all filed for council, as did Elizabeth Minor.

Bricelyn Seats currently held by mayor Dan Klingbeil and council persons Terri Douglas and John Goette are open this year.

All three incumbents were the only ones to file.

Wells Mayor David Braun and council persons Crystal Dulas and Brenda Weber have their terms expire this year.

David Braun, Todd Steinhaus and Lyle Doerr Jr. all filed for mayor, and Brenda Weber, Nancy Kruger, Josh Raimann and Jeremie Seedorf all filed for the two council positions.

Winnebago On the ballot will be the seats held by incumbents mayor Jeremiah Schutt and council members Rick Johnson and Jean Anderson.

Jean Anderson filed for the council, as did Tim Hynes. No one, including the incumbent, filed for the mayor’s position.

Delavan The position of mayor now held by Kevin Walker and the council seats held by Merlyn “Butch” Ottesen and Brian Thompson are all open.

The only person to file was Fred “Cal” Calhoun, for council.

Easton The mayor position, currently held by Bryant Stiernagle, and two council seats held by Andrea Neubauer and Jon Rath, are open.

Stiernagle and Rath filed.

Frost Mayor Brian Loge’s term is up, as are the council seats held by Jared Bruellman and Lee Lincoln.

Brian Loge filed for mayor and Lee Lincoln and Matthew Gullord filed for city council.

Kiester Mayor Rich Goggin, and councilmembers Hope Bauman and Brandon Hagenson are all up this year. No update on the filings was received.

Minnesota Lake The terms of mayor Jeff Ramsley and council members Edie More and Lon Stenzel are up.

Jeff Ramsley has filed for mayor. Edie More, Lon Stenzel and Caleb Johnson filed for the council.

Other Elected Positions

In addition, there are open seats on some township boards, Blue Earth Public Works Board and other governmental bodies.

In Blue Earth, incumbents Lars Bierly, Tim Juba and Bernie Kriewall all filed for the Board of Public Works, and Renee Beattie filed for the United Hospital District Board, as did Larry Anderson in Frost.