Two contested races set for April 1 ballots
By Kevin O’Brien and Nathaniel Underwood
Voters in the Abbotsford School will have a choice to make when it comes to local school board candidates on the April 1 ballot, and so will residents of Ward 2 in the city of Abbotsford.
Four candidates will be running for three seats on the Abbotsford School Board this spring after a former district employee turned in enough signatures by Tuesday’s deadline to challenge the three incumbents.
Frankie Soto, who used to serve as the district’s food service director and was also a member of the Abbotsford City Council,
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turned in his ballot access documents, along with board members Sharon Archambo, Gary Schraufnagel and Nathan Jakel, who was recently appointed to fill a vacancy left by Ivone Vazquez, who resigned in October. Whichever two candidates receive the most votes on April 1 will earn three-year terms, while the candidate who comes in third will serve the two-year remainder of Vazquez’s term.
In the city of Abbotsford, Ward 2 Ald. Kevin Flink will face a challenge from Paul Erikson, who turned nomination papers to be on the ballot. Mayor Jim Weix, along with Ward 4 Ald. Mason Rachu, Ward 1 Ad. Sarah Diedrich and Ward 3 Ad. Jon Podevels will all run unopposed for new terms after submitting their paperwork.
For voters in the city and school district of Colby, the choices will be more limited.
After Colby School Board member Lony Oestreich declared noncandidacy, resident Liz Baumgartner stepped forward to run for the board. Incumbents Cody Gumz and Teri Hanson also submitted papers to run for re-election, meaning there will be three candidates for three open seats.
In the city of Colby, Ward 1 Ald. Jason Lindeman and Ward 2 Ald. Dan Hederer both registered to be on the ballot, with no challengers stepping forward. Ward 3 Ald. Randy Hesgard did not turn in the paperwork required to be on the ballot, but he will accept a new term if voted in as a write-in candidate. According to city clerk Connie Gurtner, Hesgard wanted to provide a chance for others to run if they are interested.
The villages of Curtiss and Dorchester will have caucuses later this month to determine who will be on the April 1 ballots On the state level, the April 1 ballot will feature a State Supreme Court race involving justice Ann Walsh Bradley, whose term ends on July 31, 2025. District 3 court of appeals judge Lisa K. Stark and state superintendent of schools Jill Underly are also up for re-election.
