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Incumbents have until Feb. 15 to file
LAUREL — Two people have now decided to seek Laurel-Concord Coleridge School Board seats.
Current LCC Board President Jay Hall filed papers with the Cedar County Clerk’s office Jan. 8.
Paul Garcia, a political newcomer, filed paper work with the county clerk on Jan. 15 to seek one of the four seats up for election this year.
Two people have filed to replace Dave McGregor as Cedar County commissioner.
McGregor, who represents the central district, announced earlier this year that this will be his final year on the board.
“Five terms is enough,” he said at the time. “It’s time to let someone else do it.”
Current Cedar County Road Department employee Kelly Hammer and former Hartington City Council member Tim Burbach have both filed for the seat.
Hammer, of Coleridge, has worked for the Cedar County Road Department since 2019. Burbach joined the Hartington City Council in 2000 and served on that board until resigning in July 2013.
Both men have previously challenged McGregor for the job.
Hammer ran against McGregor in the 2022 primary, losing 582-265.
Burbach and Scott Keiter ran against McGregor in the 2018 primary. McGregor earned 365 votes in that contest, while Keiter had 132 and Burbach finished with 52 votes.
Incumbents have until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, to file for office. Non-incumbents have until 5 p.m. Monday, March 2, to file in order to appear on the May 12 primary election ballot. Cedar County Clerk Jessica Schmit said an incumbent is anyone serving in an elective office, even if it is not the office for which they are filing.
With just over two weeks remaining to file for the election, only a handful of incumbents on area school boards and city councils have chosen to put their name on the ballot.
In Laurel, city council members June Koester and Jeff Erwin are both up for election. Neither has filed for another term.
The city of Randolph has three seats up for election. Mayor Dwayne Schutt and council members Aaron Nielsen and Daniel Korth are completing their four-year terms. None has filed for re-election.
McGregor is the only one of the county’s elected officials whose seats are on the ballot this year to not file for another term.
Sheriff Larry Koranda, Treasurer Jean Wiebelhaus, Clerk Jessica Schmit, Auditor Janelle Heikes, Clerk of District Court Janet Wiechelman, Surveyor Tim Gobel, County Attorney Ron Temple and Commissioner Dick Donner have all filed to seek another four-year term.
A list of offices up for election this year can be found inside this week’s issue of the Laurel Advocate.
