On the first day for candidates to officially file for the 2019 municipal election, there was only one person waiting to submit his paperwork when the courthouse opened at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
It was District 1 incumbent Republican Dascal Bunch, who was just selected last week as the new council president last week.
It was about 15 minutes later that the next two candidates – Republican incumbents Mayor Jim Lienhoop and Clerk-Treasurer Luann Welmer – arrived to officially file for reelection, county elections supervisor Shari Lentz said.
During larger county and presidential elections, there has been a light-hearted competition among local candidates to see who can be the first to file on the first day.
But Lentz says that type of activity has been less likely to occur during the municipal elections.
Two more candidates filed during the morning hours on Wednesday. Republican incumbent District 4 councilman Frank Miller, who has just completed two consecutive years as council president, filed at 10 a.m.
About 40-minutes later, the first non-incumbent candidate filed his candidacy. Republican Josh Burnett, owner of JAB Media Group and communications director at The Ridge church, is running for one of the at-large seats currently held by Democrat Tom Dell and Republican Laurie Booher.
It was five hours later that Republican Tim Shuffett filed his paperwork that will allow him to seek a third consecutive term as the District 5 councilman.
For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.
