One Week Left To Announce Candidacy In Upcoming Municipal Election

The race in the upcoming municipal election is heating up, as there's only one week left to file nomination papers.

A handful of residents have thrown their hat in the ring, while one candidate may have developed second thoughts.

Chris Glassford, a candidate running for council in Ward 5 (Wallaceburg) had posted on Facebook that he has decided to "step down". However, Election Coordinator Lucas Chambers says none of the candidates, including Glassford have "been in to officially withdraw from the election".

Below is a current list of people running for a position on Chatham-Kent council. The names in bold are those who filed their papers this week.

Ward 1 – West Kent (Two seats)

• Mark Authier (current councillor)
• Bryon Fluker (current councillor)
• Melissa Harrigan
• Mark Pastorius

Ward 2 – South Kent (Three seats)

• Tanya Bondy
• Trevor Thompson (current councillor)
• Frank Vercouteren (current councillor)
• Mary Clare Latimer
• Art Stirling
• Henry Svec

Ward 3 – East Kent (Two seats)

• MaryAnn Hawthorne
• David VanDamme (current councillor)
• Steve Pinsonneault (current councillor)

Ward 4 – North Kent (Two seats)

• Joe  Faas (current councillor)
• Jessica Brooks
• Patricia Sylvain
• Steven Scott
• Joey Cyples
• Dylan Robert McLay

Ward 5 – Wallaceburg (Two seats)

• Carmen McGregor (current councillor)
• Randy McNeil
• Chris Glassford
• Aaron Hall
• Nicolas Cadotte

Ward 6 – Chatham (Six seats)

• Brock McGregor (current councillor)
• Michael Bondy (current councillor)
• Doug Sulman (current councillor)
• Les Banks
• Marjorie Crew
• James Thompson
• Larry Vellinga
• Ryan Jackson
• Chris June
• Kirk Hooker
• Karen Kirkwood-Whyte
• Drew Simpson

No residents filed their papers to run for mayor this week. Current candidates include Mayor Randy Hope, Councillor Darrin Canniff, local advocate Alysson Storey, Chatham resident Robert Salvatore Powers, and East Kent resident Harold Atkinson.

As for those running for a trustee position on local school boards, an updated list is below.

Lambton-Kent District School Board

Wards 1-3 (Two seats) – Scott McKinlay, D. Randy Campbell, and Chris White

Wards 4-5 (One seat) – Janet Barnes

Ward 6 (Two seats) – Derek Robertson, Ruth Ann Dodman, and Shannon Sasseville

St. Clair Catholic District School Board

Wards 1-2 (One seat) – Brenda Rumble

Ward 3 (One seat) – Carol Bryden, and Patricia Pook

Wards 4-5 (One seat) – Van Heck

Ward 6 (One seat) – David Argenti and John Mrnik

French Separate Conseil Scolaire Catholique Providence

Chatham-Kent (Two seats) – Louise Aitken and Robert (Bob) Demers

French Public – Conseil Scolaire Viamonde

Chatham-Kent and surrounding areas (One seat) – Pierre Lambert

Blackburn News will provide weekly stories to keep the community up-to-date on who is running in this fall’s municipal election.