Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
The race to replace Shawano Mayor Lorna Marquardt has already gotten crowded only a few days into the filing season for the spring election.
Four potential candidates have filed campaign registration papers for the office, while another four have picked up campaign forms but not yet filed the paperwork.
None of them will be official candidates until they’ve collected at least 50 signatures and turned in their nomination papers. They have until Jan. 5 to do that.
If all who have shown interest so far follow through, it will mean a Feb. 16 primary in which voters will narrow a field of eight candidates down to the two who will get on the April 5 ballot.
As of Friday, Common Council members Bob Kurkiewicz and Sandy Steinke have both filed campaign registration statements for mayor, as have Kasey Hohn and Jim Oberstein.
Names of the other four potential candidates cannot be released until they’ve filed their registration statements.
Marquardt announced last week she would not seek re-election. She served as mayor for 14 years and six years prior to that as alderperson.
In most elections, Marquardt has run unopposed, as has most of the Common Council.
This year, however, there might also be a race for one of the aldermanic seats.
Lisa Hoffman has filed her campaign registration statement to run against incumbent Fred Ponschok in District 4. However, as of Friday, Ponschok has not yet filed his campaign registration.
Two other council seats will also be on the ballot in April, held by Rhonda Strebel in District 2 and John Hoeffs in District 6.
Both have filed their campaign registration statements and Hoeffs has also turned in his nomination papers with the 20 signatures needed to be on the ballot.
City Attorney Tim Schmid is also up for re-election, as is Shawano-Bonduel Municipal Judge Myron Heisted.
Also expiring in April are the two-year terms of all 27 supervisors on the Shawano County Board.