Candidates step up

COEUR d'ALENE - It's a three-way race for every seat on the Coeur d'Alene City Council and Mayor Sandi Bloem's open seat.

The deadline for getting names on the November ballot for the city elections ended at 5 p.m. on Friday.

A last-minute filing by Gary Herfurth rounded out the competition for Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander's vacant seat. He will face Noel Adam, and Kiki Miller for seat 6 in November.

The race for mayor of Coeur d'Alene will be between Joe Kunka, Mary Souza and Steve Widmyer.

The only incumbent in this year's council elections will be Woody McEvers, who currently holds seat 4. He will face Amber Copeland and Sharon Hebert.

Jared Festner, Chris Fillios and Amy Evans will vie for seat 2 that will go uncontested by Mike Kennedy this election cycle.

City Clerk Renata McLeod said Herfurth came in about 12:38 p.m. and that was the last candidate to file for the election.

"Now, we will start seeing some signs," she said, adding the election season is set to go into full swing.

The city's Time Warner Channel 19 will broadcast a candidate forum on Oct. 1 that will be moderated by the Coeur Group.

"We don't know the exact time it will air yet," she said. "But we are meeting with the Coeur Group on Monday to discuss the details."

McLeod, who has worked for the city for 25 years, is going into her first election cycle as city clerk. She trained for the position over the past six months under Susan Weathers, the former city clerk.

"I would have to say that I am a little nervous," she said. "I am stepping in behind Susan who held the position for 25 years."