The window to return Glenwood Springs City Council nominating petitions has closed, and now eight candidates will begin jockeying for four council seats up for grabs in the April 2 municipal election.
For the Ward 1 seat, representing the downtown area west of Grand Avenue and the middle and western portions of Midland Avenue, incumbent City Councilor Steve Davis will seek re-election for his second term. Barring a write-in bid, he will be running unopposed.
In Ward 3 (east and north side of downtown), Councilor Todd Leahy is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. For that seat, three candidates have tossed their hats in the ring to vie for the neighborhood seat this April.
Among them is Charlie Willman, who was an unsuccessful candidate two years ago for the At-Large seat now held by Shelley Kaup. Joining him in the race will be Ksana Oglesby, who works for Mountain Valley Developmental Services, and Jennifer Vanian, a longtime community activist.
The race for the Ward 4 seat (midtown area) signals the impending departure of two-term Councilman and current Mayor Michael Gamba, who also is term-limited.
A familiar face in recent politics, Paula Stepp, has made her intentions clear to run for the Ward 4 seat. Stepp ran in the November 2018 election for Garfield County commissioner, but was unsuccessful in her bid to unseat incumbent Tom Jankovsky. Stepp, too, will run unopposed for Glenwood’s Ward 4 seat unless an official write-in candidate emerges.
Current At Large City Councilor Jim Ingraham will also seek formal election to the seat this April. Ingraham was appointed to the seat last year following the resignation of former councilor Kathryn Trauger. Joining that crowded race will be Erika Gibson, an attorney with the law firm of Balcomb and Green, and Tony Hershey, who works as a deputy district attorney for the 9th District.
According to Glenwood Springs City Clerk Catherine Fletcher, overseas ballots for active military personnel will go out on Feb. 15, followed by ballots to general Glenwood Springs registered voters on March 11.
Only citizens residing in Wards 1, 3, and 4 can vote for candidates running for those specific ward seats. However, any citizen living within the city limits can vote in the At Large race.
Councilors not up for re-election include At Large Councilor Shelley Kaup, Ward 2 Councilor Rick Voorhees, and Ward 5 Councilor Jonathan Godes.
Additionally, those wishing to run as an official write-in candidate still can, but must present a valid nominating petition to the City Clerk’s Office no later than March 13.