Candidates file for city, fire seats
Area city and fire district election races are shaping up as Friday was the deadline for candidates to be on the Nov. 5 ballot.
"Most of the cities have multiple candidates for mayor and council seats ... ," said Pat Raffee, Kootenai County Chief Deputy Clerk.
The deadline to file as a write-in city candidate is Oct. 8 and Sept. 20 for fire districts.
Here's a roundup of the races:
CITIES
Rathdrum - Mark Worthen, who holds the No. 1 seat, and Paula Laws, who holds No. 3, both filed for re-election. No challengers filed.
Hayden - Brett Nearing will challenge council seat No. 2 incumbent Dick Panabaker.
No one filed to challenge seat No. 4 holder Jeri DeLange.
Spirit Lake - Mayor Todd Clary will be challenged by Donald Barnett and Robert Harper.
Six candidates are running for two council seats, including incumbents Jimmy Brown Jr. and Bill Erickson and challengers Autumn Massender, Zachary Neu, Joy Porter and Christopher Tucker.
Dalton Gardens - Four-year council seats held by Joe Myers and Ron Koontz are up for election. Those two, along with Scott Jordan, will seek two seats up for election.
Athol - The Seat 3 race will feature incumbent Mark Dane, Mary Zichko and Gust Schieve. The Seat 4 race will have incumbent Shane McDaniel and Joshua Spencer.
No one filed to run against seat No. 2 incumbent Darla Lynn Knickerbocker-Kuhman.
Fernan Village - Council incumbent Mary Ann Tierney and Doris Hoffman filed for two seats up for election.
St. Maries - Three people are seeking the mayor seat, including incumbent Tami Holdahl and challengers James Comack and Harry Grubham.
Incumbent Randall Saunders, who is serving a two-year seat on the council, was the lone candidate to file for his seat.
Five candidates will seek three four-year council seats up for election.
Incumbents Jerry Wicks and Gerald Martin will be challenged by Jerry McCarter, Randy Willard and Judd Wilson.
The seat formerly held by Keith Nance, who moved out of city limits, is the third four-year position up for election.
Hauser - Mayor Olita Johnston will be challenged by Claire Hatfield, a current council member.
Council incumbents Rodney Lindsay and William Ray and Kiera Beck filed for three seats up for election.
Hayden Lake - Council seat No. 2 holder Tom Gorman and No. 4 holder Jim Ackerman filed for re-election and drew no opponents.
Worley - Council incumbent Keith Gilbert didn't draw a challenger.
Harrison - Mayor Wanda Irish didn't draw any challengers.
The four-year council seats of Will Butler, Rich Lund and Mark Wagner are up for election. Wagner and Lund are seeking re-election. They will be challenged by Joe Cornell, Jordan Hall, Brad Hruza and Kayleen Walker for the three seats available.
Huetter - City council incumbents Latasha Sumner and John Whitaker filed for re-election and drew no opponents.
FIRE DISTRICTS
Eastside - Sub-district 1 incumbent Thomas Little will be challenged by Fred Fricke. Mary Mills is the lone candidate who filed for sub-district 3.
Hauser Lake - No one filed for sub-district 3.
Kootenai County Fire and Rescue - Sub-district 3 incumbent Richard Nordstrom didn't draw a challenger. Sub-district 4 incumbent Paul Wagner will be challenged by Larry Boatright. Sub-district 5 commissioner Michael Hunt will be challenged by Ron Sampert.
Mica-Kidd Island - Sub-district 3 incumbent Larry Mundt did not draw a challenger.
Northern Lakes - Sub-district 1 incumbent Larry Clark and sub-district 3 incumbent Dennis Amende did not draw challengers. Sub-district 5 incumbent Terry Thompson will be challenged by Bruce Maddux.
Spirit Lake - Sub-district 2 incumbent Mark Miller did not draw a challenger.
St. Maries - Sub-district 1 incumbent Thomas DuHamel and sub-district 2 incumbent Helen Kevo did not draw challengers.
Shoshone County - Sub-district 3 incumbent Robert Monteith will be challenged by Gary Mitchell.
Timberlake - Incumbents Marty Fish, Rudy Rudebaugh and Charles Hansen drew no challengers.
Worley - Gary Drechsel filed for sub-district 2 and Edward Joy for sub-district 3.