Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
It’s official. Shawano residents will have seven mayoral candidates to choose from in a primary election Feb. 16 as the race gets winnowed down to the two that will be on the spring ballot in April.
The deadline for potential candidates to file their nomination papers and the required signatures to qualify passed at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The candidates are Common Council member Sandy Steinke, former council member Brian Retzlaff, plan commission member Jeanne Cronce, Jim Oberstein, Rich Belongia, Kasey Hohn and Mart Grams.
Two of them will go on to the spring election on April 5 in a bid to replace Lorna Marquardt, who is not seeking re-election after 14 years in office.
Alderman Bob Kurkiewicz initially filed for a mayoral run, but later dropped out of the race.
The flood of mayoral candidates has been seen by some as somewhat surprising, given that Marquardt has faced opposition only once during her tenure as mayor.
In most years, neither she nor any of the Common Council members up for re-election have faced challengers.
Common Council races on the April 5 ballot this year are staying true to that form, with three seats up for election and all of them uncontested.
Incumbents Rhonda Strebel, District 2, and John Hoeffs, District 6, are each up for re-election for another two-year term with no opposition.
District 4 Alderman Fred Ponschok has chosen not to run again, ceding the ground to challenger Lisa Hoffman.
Incumbent City Attorney Tim Schmid will also be on the ballot and faces no opposition.