Dozens of candidates file for office to run in November general election
Filing day was a busy one at the San Juan County clerk’s office on Tuesday, Aug. 29, as more than four dozen people filled out paperwork to have their name included on the ballot for the Tuesday, Nov. 7 general election.
In total, 50 candidates filed to run for 27 offices across the county, but County Clerk Tanya Shelby said some candidates may be deemed unqualified over the next few days, and their name will not appear on the ballot.
In the city of Farmington, two candidates filed to run for mayor — incumbent Nate Duckett and Alexander Chambers. In the District 3 City Council race, incumbent Jeanine Bingham-Kelly will run unopposed, while in the District 4 race, incumbent Janis Jakino will face challenger Prudence Lynn Brady. The full-time municipal judge race drew three candidates — Robert E. Miller, James J. Rempe and Rena Scott, each of whom is competing for the seat held by the retiring Bill Liese. Gary Robert Frey was the only candidate to file for the part-time municipal judgeship.
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In the city of Aztec, incumbent Austin Randall will seek another term as the District 1 city commissioner. Incumbent Michael Padilla Sr., who also serves as the city’s mayor, will seek re-election in District 3 against challenger Eduardo G. Chavez. Carlton P. Gray will run unopposed for the city’s municipal judgeship.
In Bloomfield, incumbent Kelly Burkholder is seeking re-election to the Position 4 seat against challenger John A. Mohler, while incumbent Dale Walls in Position 3 will face challengers Michael James Brown and Lucas Aaron Almeida-Barnett.
In Kirtland, incumbent Town Councilor Jason Heslop will face challengers Ross Trujillo Jr. and Rachael Erin Banks.
On the Farmington Municipal School District Board of Education, incumbent District 1 representative Stephanie Thompson, who also serves as the board president, filed for re-election and will run unopposed. In District 4, Krista Lee McWilliams is running unopposed for the seat being vacated by Barbara Tedrow. And in District 5, incumbent Joan Vallee will seek re-election against challenger Lisa Lynn Maxwell.
On the Aztec Municipal School District Board of Education, Amanda D. Sutherland was the only person to file for the District 2 seat, while incumbent Laci Lynn Newland will run unopposed for the District 4 seat. In District 5, Katie Marie Burnett-Buckholz will square off against Joe A. Hubbard.
On the Bloomfield School District Board of Education, Sun Ann Finch filed to run for the District 1 seat being vacated by Steven “Joel” Gunn. In District 3, incumbent Dale Maes, who also serves as board president, will run unopposed for re-election.
On the Central Consolidated School District Board of Education, incumbent Gary Montoya will seek re-election to his District 2 seat against challenger Hoskie Benally Jr. In District 3, Matthew D. Tso was the only candidate to file for the seat being vacated by Cheryl George. And in District 5, incumbent Suzette J. Haskie-Oberly, who also serves as the board’s vice president, is running unopposed.
Both of the seats up for grabs on the San Juan College Board of Trustees will be heavily contested. Five candidates filed for the District 1 seat, including incumbent Hoskie Benally Jr., as well as Pete K. Atcitty III, GloJean B. Todacheene, Ray Begaye and Matthew D. Tso. In District 5, Judy M. Hale, Beverly D. Taylor and Catherine Thomas-Kemp will battle for the seat being vacated by John Thompson.
On the San Juan Soil & Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors and Partners, incumbents DeAnne McKee, Leo Pacheco and Cash Carruth will seek election to two at-large seats in a crowded field that also includes challengers Kandy Lynn LeMoine, Gentry M. Sterling and Christopher L. Culpepper. Incumbent Catherine Thomas-Kemp is seeking re-election to her Position 5 district supervisor seat against challenger Paul C. Bandy.
The deadline for registering to vote for the November election is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 10. Early voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays from Oct. 10 through Oct. 20 at the county clerk’s office at 100 S. Oliver Drive in Aztec.
Early voting will be expanded from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays from Oct. 21 through Nov. 4 at the same location.
Early voting also will be offered at five alternate locations Oct. 21 through Nov. 4. Polls will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays at the Farmington Museum at Gateway Park, 3041 E. Main St. in Farmington; the Farmington Public Library, 2101 Farmington Ave. in Farmington; the Bloomfield Cultural Center, 333 S. 1st St. in Bloomfield; the CCSD Business Office south of U.S. Highway 64 in the old Shiprock High School A Gym in Shiprock; and the Newcomb Fire Station at mile marker 56.5 on U.S. Highway 491 in Newcomb.
Absentee ballots will be available beginning Tuesday, Oct. 10. The last day to mail an absentee ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 24.
For more information, call 505-334-9471 or visit sjcclerk.net.
Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.
This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: More than four dozen people file to run for office in San Juan County
