City Council, Some District Races Open Until Wednesday, School Board Race Closed

Due to the fact several incumbents have not filed for re-election, the race for seats on the Martinez City Council and two district elections affecting the Martinez area will be open for new candidates until 5 p.m. Wednesday. 

All the local agencies scheduled to have elections will be on the ballot because all incumbents running have opposition. Only in the race for City Treasurer can the election be left off the ballot, if the City Council so decides, because there is no opposition. 

Martinez Councilmember Mark Ross is the only one of two up for re-election this year who has filed final candidate papers. Janet Kennedy announced before filing began that she would not seek re-election. 

Seven city citizens have taken out papers to run for a council seat, including Dylan Radke, Michael Alford, Arsenio Escudero, Anamarie Farias, Will Frisbie and Coday Skinner and Kathi McLaughlin. McLaughlin, a member of the Martinez Unified School District Board, filed to run for re-election, however. She cannot run for both. 

City Clerk Gary Hernandez will have a free ride to a new four-year term, since the only person to take out papers against him did not file by the regular deadline of 5 p.m. last Friday. 

However, City Treasurer Carolyn Robinson will be opposed by candidate Charles Martin, who has run for city office in the past. 
 
Filing is closed for the Martinez Unified School District as all incumbents filed for re-election, including McLaughlin,  John Fuller and Denise Elsken. They will be opposed by Ronald Skrehot and Dena Betti.

Filing is open in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District because incumbent Gary Eberhart did not file for re-election to one of the two seats but the other incumbent, Sherry Whitmarsh of Concord, did. Others who have taken out papers include Brian Lawrence of Walnut Creek, Ernesto DeTrinidad of Clayton, Barbara Oaks of Pleasant Hill, and Attila Gabor and Debra Mason of Bay Point. Mt. Diablo district includes the southeastern portion of the city of Martinez. 

Filing is closed in the Mt. View Sanitary District covering primarily unincorporated areas east of Martinez. Incumbents Randall Williams, David Maggi and Elmer Schaal all filed for re-election, while Beverli Marshall filed to oppose them. 

Filing remains open in the Central Sanitary District as veteran member Mario Menesini of Walnut Creek did not file for re-election. Incumbents James Nejedly, Walnut Creek, and Barbara Hockett, Danville, have filled, as have challengers Tad Pilecki of Martinez Richard Clark of Danville, Deborah Hinkson of Alamo, and Paul Causey of Walnut Creek. Potential candidates Herbert Holden of San Ramon and Michael Smith of Danville have taken out papers but had not filed by the end of business on Friday. 

An  election for board members for the Mt. Diablo Health Care District has been taken off the ballot.  Candidate papers had been taken out by several residents but the controversial district was dissolved by the county Local Agency Formation Commission last week, just in time to cancel the election.

In addition to would-be candidates who have taken out papers to run in the open districts, any adult citizen residing in the boundaries of the jurisdiction he or she wants to represent may still take out nomination papers, as long as the filing process is completed by 5 p.m. Wednesday.