Candidate filing for the April municipal election closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday and while city races have little to no opposition, several school board races have a long list of candidates.
Candidate filing began Dec. 13 for the April 4 election in Pettis County. Final ballot certification will take place Jan. 24. The last day to register to vote in the April 4 election is March 8.
The following candidates have filed for the municipal election:
• City of Sedalia
Ward 1 Councilwoman Jo Lynn Turley, Ward 2 Councilman Russell Driskell, Ward 3 Councilman Bob Cross and Ward 4 Councilwoman Mary Merritt all filed for candidacy. Merritt is the only incumbent with an opponent, as Ward 4 resident Megan Page has also filed as a council candidate.
• Sedalia School District 200
Once again, there will be no Board of Education election in Sedalia as only the three incumbents — Vice President Michael Stees, Treasurer Kenneth Coffelt and member Scott Gardner — filed for candidacy.
• Pettis County Ambulance District
PCAD’s Board of Directors will also not have a contested race. Incumbents Greg Nehring, District 2, and Mike Layton, District 5, were the only candidates to file.
• Village of Hughesville
There are three open seats, but none of the three incumbents filed for candidacy. It will be a race between three newcomers — Billy Price, Elizabeth Thalgott and Kenny Raines.
• Pettis County R-V (Hughesville) School District
The Hughesville Board of Education has the longest list of candidates for the municipal election at 14, as six more candidates have filed since the Democrat’s update last week. Vice President Austin Lea, Secretary Beth Douglas and member Amy Kreisel have all filed for re-election. Joining them on the ballot will be Janeene Williams, Crystal Narron, Katie Palmer, Nikkie Hill, Jimmie March, Janice Klenke, Nicki Rice, Mike Weathers, Casey D. Smith, Eric Cornine and Jason Chamberlain. There are four open seats.
• City of Smithton
East Ward Alderman Tom Glenn will be unopposed for his re-election. However, West Ward Alderwoman Sharon Oehrke did not file for re-election, so it will be a race between newcomers Daniel Hicks and Randy Jones.
• Smithton R-VI School District
With three open seats for the Board of Education, incumbents Sara Moore and John Frazee have filed for re-election. New candidates include Jon Alan Burdick, James Haislip, Dennis Steele, Todd Letourneau and Allison Asbury.
• City of Green Ridge
There won’t be an election in Green Ridge as only incumbents Daniel Piscopo and Jeffrey R. Nilson filed for candidacy.
• Green Ridge School District
The Green Ridge Board of Education race has also attracted several newcomers. President Barry White and member Roy Martin have filed for re-election to the board. They are joined on the ballot by Kenneth Ollison, Bob Stone, Staci Harrison, Dale Heuman and Tracy Thomas. There are three open seats.
• City of La Monte
After city council incumbents Wanda Bishop and Terry Drum filed, three more candidates joined them in the last week — Paul Wilbern, David Jones and Larry Canida.
• La Monte R-IV School District
Board of Education incumbents Leah Mahin and Treasurer Barak Knoernschild have filed for re-election. Newcomers Katie Hall and Linda Davis have also filed. There are three open seats.
• Pettis County R-XII (Dresden) School District
There are three open seats for the Dresden Board of Education. The Democrat does not have a final update on this race, as Superintendent Amy Fagg said via email she could not provide a final list until Thursday.
• City of Houstonia
North Ward Alderman Justin Bales, a four-year term, and South Ward Alderman Robert Knowles, a two-year term, are both up for re-election this year. Phone calls to the city during the candidate filing period have not been returned, so the Democrat does not have a final update on this race nor information on whether either of the incumbents have filed.
