Two Somerset city council races on the May ballot; six council races to be decided in November
Apr. 17—The May 21 primary election is right around the corner, and during that election voters who live within the Somerset city limits will be able to cast their votes in two city council races.
Out of the city's six total contested races, two have more than two candidates vying for seats in their respective wards.
Wards 3 and 5 have three candidates on the primary ballot. That means the number of candidates must be whittled down to two before November's general election.
In the next few weeks, the Commonwealth Journal will be talking to the candidates in those two races, profiling each to give voters a better understanding on who they might want to choose.
In the run up to the November election, the Commonwealth Journal will also speak with the candidates in the other contested races — Wards 4, 6, 10 and 12.
Somerset elections are non-partisan, meaning candidates do not run as Republicans, Democrats or with any other political affiliation. All registered voters within the city limits can vote for anyone who is running for a particular seat. Furthermore, all city voters can vote for candidates in all 12 wards, regardless of where the voter lives.
If there are only two candidates for a seat, there is no vote for that seat in the primary. Rather, the final decision for that seat takes place in November.
However, if there are more than two candidates in a race, then there is a run off in the May primary. Each voter will throw their vote to only one candidate per ward, but the two candidates in each ward who receive the most votes move on to the November ballot.
There are four candidates listed for the Ward 3 race, although one of those candidates has informed the Commonwealth Journal they are not running.
Barbara Beckman's name will appear on the ballot in May. However, Beckman told the Commonwealth Journal that due to an error, she was signed up to run in a ward that she does not live in.
Voters will therefore have a choice among three newcomers. Listed in alphabetical order, they are Brent Fleming, Mike Honeycutt and Brannen Wheeldon.
Somerset residents may note one name absent from that list — current Ward 3 City Councilor Jerry Wheeldon. The incumbent did not sign up to run for another term.
Three names will appear on the May ballot for Ward 5. Listed in alphabetical order, they are Margaret Dick, Jeanette Hislope and Jerry Girdler.
Girdler is the incumbent in that race.
In the November election, four other city council races will join Ward 3 and Ward 5 on the ballot.
Those races are:
* Ward 4: Incumbent James "Jimmy" Eastham and Chris McWilliams
* Ward 6: Incumbent James "Robin" Daughetee and Phyllis Lawson
* Ward 10: Incumbent David Godsey and Jay McShurley
* Ward 12: Incumbent Ralph "Tom" Eastham and Bonnie Whitis
The other six city council races are uncontested, with each of the currently-sitting members of those wards filing for re-election.
* Ward 1: David Burdine
* Ward 2: Brian Dalton
* Ward 7: Patrick Hunley
* Ward 8: John Ricky Minton
* Ward 9: Jim Mitchell
* Ward 11: Amanda "Bean" Bullock
