Published: February 16, 2009 09:21 pm      

Three weeks remain in election filing period

The filing deadline for the upcoming May 9 election is less than three weeks away, and some movement is starting to take shape. The deadline is March 9.

The City of Orange has two council seats which will be open this election, which includes the seats held by Jimmy Sims, Place 2, and Deborah Mitchell, Place 4.

Both incumbents have officially filed to retain their seats, but no challengers have yet to declare.

The three Pinehurst incumbent city council members — Bessie Huckaby, Dan Barclay and Jennifer Reneau — have yet to file for the May election. As of Monday, no challengers have filed for any of the At-Large council seats.

In Rose City, terms are expiring for Mayor David Bush and at-large council members Carolyn Scoonfield, Ruth Dubuisson and Ryan LeBlanc. No candidates have filed with the city secretary as of Monday.

The mayor position and three council seats are also up for grabs in Vidor this year.

Incumbents include Mayor Ray Long, and councilmembers Don Eicher, Ward 1; Mallie Bickham, Ward 4; and David Slaughter, Ward 6. No new information was available on Monday pertaining to the May election as the city secretary and other personnel with this information were out sick.

City Hall in Bridge City was closed on Monday in observance of Presidents’ Day so no information was available, as west City Hall in West Orange and Pine Forest.

Besides the seven incorporated cities of Orange County, four area school districts are set to possibly hold elections as well.

West Orange-Cove CISD has two seats up this election period, which are currently occupied by Pete Amy and Eric Mitchell. Both have obtained the required informational packets for the election, but neither has officially filed to retain yet. No challengers have filed as of Monday.

Seats held by Bridge City ISD board members Lon Hubbard and Kirk Ellender will be open for residents interested in running for school board this year. As of Monday, no one has submitted the required paper work needed for candidacy.

The Little Cypress-Mauriceville Consolidated Independent School District has seats currently held by David Jones, Donna Scheer and Don Anderson on the ballot for the May 9 election. No information was available late Monday.

Two seats on the Vidor Independent School District are open for this year’s election.

Trustee Pancho Houston, who was appointed to the Position 1 seat formerly held by Tim Wright, has not filed to retain his seat as of Monday. However, resident Rollie Burr has submitted his name for the Position 1 seat.

Mike Quinn, who sits in Position 2, has filed to remain on the school board and is currently unopposed.