Council races packed with candidates

SANDPOINT — It’s shaping up to be a busy year for city elections.

No less than 10 candidates have filed to run for the three open seats on City Council. These candidates are Bill Aitken, Robert Camp, Bryan E. Dillon, Mose “Mo” Dunkel, Allen Hacker, Bill Litsinger, Mark Remmetter, Shelby Rognstad, Frank “Christian” Schwab and Shannon Joy Williamson. Rognstad, the only incumbent, is running to retain the seat he was appointed to after former Councilwoman Marsha Ogilvie was elected mayor in November 2011. Councilmembers Justin Schuck and Jamie Brunner chose not to seek reelection.

Clark Fork will also have a busy election this year, with six candidates vying for the mayor’s office and two council seats. Chris Riggins is the only candidate pursuing the position of mayor. Meanwhile, five individuals are campaigning for the two council seats, including incumbent Russell Schenck, Sharon Jeffers, Lynn Reese, Glenn Geignetter and Steve Spanski.

In contrast, Ponderay will have a smaller-scale election. Three candidates, including incumbents Steve Geiger and John Darling and challenger Karen Engel, will pursue two open seats.

Kootenai will also have a slower election season this year, with council incumbents running unopposed to retain their seats. David Sundquist is running to retain Seat 1 while Crystal Closson seeks another term in Seat 3. Unlike most municipalities in Bonner County, Kootenai uses numbered council seats to organize its elections.

Two four-year seats and one two-year seat are available for election in East Hope. Incumbent Vernon Fleisher is pursuing the two-year position, while incumbents Thomas Grimm, Eileen Klatt and newcomer Ron Seay are campaigning for the pair of four-year seats.

If any city candidates should later reconsider their candidacy, they have until Sept. 20 to withdraw their name from the ballot. On the other hand, residents can still file to run as a write-in candidate by submitting papers before Oct. 8.