Local school, city races to appear on November ballot only

LAUREL – The Laurel-Concord-Coleridge school board and Laurel city council races will be uncontested unless there’s a write-in candidate.

Those races will appear on the November general election only, said Cedar County Clerk Jessica Schmit.

For the LCC school board, incumbent Carol Erwin filed for re-election while newcomers Jon Graham and Garry A. Anderson also entered the race. There are three open seats on the board and three candidates.

Incumbents Dustin Thompson and Samuel Recob did not file for re-election and will serve out their current term.

On the city government side, Incumbent Justin Eriksen filed for another term while Chris Hartung filed as a new candidate for Laurel city council. There are two open seats on the council and two candidates.

Incumbent Chad Johnson did not file forre-election and will serve out his current term.

Incumbent Keith Knudsen is running for the mayoral position again and is unopposed.

The contested race for Cedar County commissioner’s District 2 race will be decided at primary as both candidates - Mike Meier, Laurel, and John Thelen, Randolph - filed as Republicans.

Thelen said he was born and raised in rural Randolph and will live out the rest of his days in the area.

Engaged in farming, Thelen said he has experience running his own business and managing employees and financials.

“I figured it would be a good fit for the county,” he said on his reason for running.

Thelen is an active member of the Central States Hart-Parr Oliver Collectors Association.

He hasn’t held a public office before but this is the second time Thelen has filed for the seat. He challenged Craig Bartels in the 2020 primary election.

Bartels is the current District 2 commissioner. He originally filed for re-election but then decided he did not wish to run for a third term and withdrew from the race.

District 2 covers all of southern Cedar County, including the communities of Belden and Randolph.

Village board races in Belden and Coleridge appear on the November ballot only so filing deadlines are later this summer. For everyone else, the deadline has passed and the only way for a new candidate to get their name on the primary ballot is to file as a write-in.

BrendaLagehasfiledforre-electiontotheColeridge Village Board. New candidates Dennis Heitman and Jesse Jackson have also filed for election to the board.

Several deadlines for people wishing to vote in the 2024 May primary election are fast approaching.

Anyone wishing to register to vote online or through the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles must do so by April 29.

People can still register to vote in person at the Cedar County Clerk’s Office through May 3, which is also the deadline for anyone wishing to get into the election as a write-in candidate. A notarized affidavit must be submitted to the clerk’s office in order for write-in votes to be counted.

Primary election ballots for voters will be mailed out on April 24 and need to be returned to the county clerk’s office by 8 p.m., May 14.