The official filing period for those interested in running for positions on city councils and school boards – as well as some other boards – closed this past Tuesday, July 28 at 5 p.m.

Now these persons who have filed Affidavits of Candidacy have until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, to file an Affidavit of Withdrawal, if they decide they do not want to run and do not want to be on the ballot for the Nov 3 General Election.

In fact, one local candidate has already done so.

Most of the cities and school boards in Faribault County have enough people running to fill the open positions and a few have more than enough and top vote getters will win. In some cases there are not enough names on the ballot to fill the alloted positions that are open.

Here is a rundown on most of the filings in the county.

City Council Elections

Blue Earth – There are three open council seats in Blue Earth. Those three open seats are currently held by Ann Hanna, Daniel Ristau (who serves as vice mayor) and Jacque Drew. All three council seats are four year term positions.

All three incumbents, Hanna, Drew and Ristau, have filed for re-election and no one else did.

Wells – In Wells, the office of mayor, currently held by David Braun, and two council seats, currently held by John Herman and Crystal Dulas, will be on the ballot.

Crystal Dulas filed for the mayor position and John Herman, Lyle Doerr-Rodriguez Jr., Seth Olson and Lexie Sherman filed for council.

Winnebago – Mayor Jean Anderson and council members Calvin Howard and Paul Eisenmenger, have their terms ending in December and the positions will be on the ballot.

Two people have filed for mayor – Scott Robertson and Dillion Johanson. Three have filed for council – Darold Nienhaus, Ryan Hatler and Brian Dahms.

Elmore – Mayor Zachary Dahl and council members Sue Dickson and Lorman Jahnke currently hold the positions that will be up for election in November.

Zachary Dahl has filed for mayor and Lorman Jahnke, John Aspen, Isiah Bladzik, Melanie Garvick, Ariana Rose and Jason Rose have filed for council.

Delavan – The mayor position, now held by Max Abdo, and council seats held by Megan Morrison and Lisa Schultz, will be on the ballot. There will also be another two-year council position on the ballot due to the resignation of council member Chris Kruse.

Bryan Roiger has filed for the 2-year term and Lisa Schultz and Megan Morrison for the 4-year terms. No one filed for the mayor’s position.

Bricelyn – Mayor John Goette and council members Douglas Ellickson and Jason Anderson have terms that are up.

John Goette filed for mayor and Jason Anderson, Douglas Ellickson and Gerald “Gerry” Morose have filed for council.

Kiester – Mayor Hope Bauman’s two-year term is up. Two council members, Marcia Dahleen and Jason Kluender terms are ending and those spots will be up for four-year terms. There is also a council seat, currently held by Paul Martin, that will be for a two-year term.

Hope Bauman filed for mayor and no one filed for any open Kiester council seat.

Frost – In Frost, the position of mayor, currently held by Bob Loge, is up for election for a two-year term. The council seats currently held by Elise Volz and Chris Ottjes are also up for election. Ottjes had been appointed to fill out the term of former council member John Oswald.

Brian (Bob) Loge filed for mayor and Elise Volz, Chris Ottjes and Patricia Boman filed for council.

Easton – In Easton, incumbent mayor Bryant Stiernagle’s term is up and so are two council positions – those are currently held by Gayle Heise and Elijah Lippert.

All three incumbents filed for re-election and no one else filed.

Minnesota Lake – In Minnesota Lake the terms of mayor Jeff Ramsley and council members Joan Proehl and Richard Staloch are up and all three filed for re-election. Edith “Edie” More also filed for council.

Walters – In Walters Nonna Goin filed for the mayor’s position, Benjamin Haukoos filed for the 2-year council seat and Brent Stencel and Steven Brenke filed for 4-year council positions.

School Board Elections

There are three seats on the United South Central School Board that will be up for election and four on the Blue Earth Area School Board.

USC – At USC, the terms of current board members Diana Brooks, Brittany Voigt and Katie Hanson are expiring this year.

Three people filed for the school board – Ashley Ignaszewski, Kyle Bauman and Diana Brooks.

BEA – At BEA, the terms of Stacey Beyer, Sara Hauskins, Kyle Zierke and Mark Franta are all ending and those seats will be on the ballot.

Brice Hanson, Mark Franta, Nate Eitzmann, Matthew Zbaracki and Deborah Barnes filed to run for the school board.

Jeffon Seely had also filed but then filed an Affadavit of Withdrawal to have his name removed from the ballot.

Other Area Filings

Other filings in Faribault County included: Barber Township – Yvonne Cory filed for clerk and Dru Martin filed for supervisor; Blue Earth City Township – Brenda Baldwin filed for treasurer and Mark Sohn filed for supervisor; Verona Township – Donald Selvig filed for treasurer, Jason Engleby and Neal Mensing for supervisor; Michael Humburg for Soil and Water supervisor District 2, Randall Fiest for Soil and Water supervisor District 3 and Bill Anderson for Soil and Water supervisor District 5; and Dan Mensing for Blue Earth Board of Public Works.

Primary Election Info

In addition to the local filings, there is currently early voting going on for the Primary Election. That election will officially be held on Tuesday, Aug. 11, but eligible voters can vote now – early voting started on June 26.

Check out the details at the Faribault County Courthouse.

Two of the local items on the primary ballot include the vote on whether or not to have the Blue Earth Area School District build a new elementary school, and another question about the school, and for voters in Commissioner District 4, there are four candidates running for an open County Commissioner seat, that is currently held by Tom Loveall.

Those four are Dana Gates, Arron Kalis, Jacob Kral and Darrel Robertson.

The top two vote getters in the Primary Election will then face off in the General Election.

While state political parties and county governments use the primary to get down to just two candidates, city councils and school boards can have as many candidates who file for the office on the General Election ballot.