By Susan Bromley
Staff Writer

Several local candidates will face no competition on the August primary ballot.
The filing deadline to be placed on the Aug. 2 ballot was 4 p.m. this past Tuesday and in Groveland Township, only five candidates, all Republicans, made known their intentions to run, one for each seat available, four of them incumbents. Supervisor Bob DePalma, Clerk Pam Mazich, Treasurer David Ax and Trustee Dale Cason are all seeking reelection. Merilyn McGee hopes to fill the trustee seat being vacated by Diane Howell.

Mazich notes that candidates running as independents have until July to file to be put on the November ballot and oppose any of the Republican candidates.
In Brandon Township, Supervisor Kathy Thurman will seek reelection to her seat, opposed in the August primary by fellow Republican and current Trustee Jayson Rumball. Treasurer Terri Darnall is also seeking reelection, opposed by Republican Susan Hollingshead. Clerk Candee Allen has no competition on the August ballot.

Five candidates will run for four open trustee seats, including incumbents Dana DePalma and Liz Waters, as well as fellow Republicans and newcomers Bob Marshall and Kris Kordella. Patricia Salter, currently serving on the Brandon Township Library Board, also seeks a trustee seat as a Democrat.
Six library trustee seats, non-partisan positions, will also appear on the August primary ballot, with Verna Cole, Ann Schmid, Jan Rathburg, Cheryl Gault, Pete Burkett, and Tiffany Ragland apparent shoo-ins.

Karen McArthur, Brandon Township elections coordinator, said this is the first time “in a long time” the library has had enough candidates for each seat. While she was happy that the library would not need write-in candidates, she expressed disappointment in the lack of candidates for township board.
“I think this is the lowest number of total candidates for the township board for at least the past 20 years,” she said. “Normally, you might end up with three or four candidates for each of the top three offices, and 10 to15 for trustee. I think possibly people do not want to be part of what we are seeing in the government, the bickering in the campaigns. It’s scaring people off a little.”

In Atlas Township, only Republican Ann Marie Moore filed to run for the seat of treasurer, but there are four candidates for two trustee positions, all Republicans. Up against incumbents Barry June and Patrick Major will be Amy Cummings and Nicolas Brooks. The race for supervisor appears to have three Republican candidates as of presstime, with incumbent Shirley Kautman-Jones set to face off against Daniel Glomson and current clerk, Tere Onica.

Onica also filed to run for clerk again, however, she can’t be placed on the ballot for two positions. She must withdraw from one by Friday, April 22. If she chose to remain a candidate for supervisor, Republican Katherine Vick would be the sole candidate for clerk on the August ballot.