Bluffton's November general election will be the most interesting on record. On the ballot are races for mayor and council.
Three mayoral candidates are:
• Judy Augsburger, independent
• David Steiner, Republican
• Jerry Cupples, independent
Three council candidates are:
• Joseph Sehlhorst, independent
• Shawn Burrell, independent
• Richard Johnson, Republican
The deadline for independent candidates to file for council or mayor was May 6. Candidates may still file as “write-in.” The deadline for write-ins is Aug. 24. Those person’s names will not be listed on the ballot, but will be counted if voters write in their names.
Here's what makes this election so interesting:
• Augsburger, incumbent mayor, is running as mayoral candidate for the first time, having been earlier appointed to the position as an appointed council member.
• Steiner was appointed to Augsburger’s council seat when she became mayor. Because of that, should Steiner or Cupples win the mayoral election, Augsburger loses her mayor position, but retains the council seat she vacated to Steiner upon becoming mayor.
• If Steiner loses the mayoral election and Augsburger win, Steiner retains his council seat.
• If Cupples wins the mayoral race, that places Augsburger back on council and removes Steiner as a council member.
Council race is just as interesting:
Meanwhile in the council race two seats are open with the top two vote-getters being elected. Sehlhorst and Burrell currently hold those two seats.
The third council candidate, Johnson, was recently appointed to council replacing Everett Collier. If Johnson loses the three-person race he will still be on council, because he already holds a seat that doesn’t expire until 2017.
If Johnson is one of the two winners, it is possible that the losing candidate could theoretically be appointed to Johnson’s vacated seat. That is because council sometimes appoints persons who have previously held council seats to council openings.
There is, however, no requirement that council must follow that reappointment procedure.
These combinations of winners and losers could change should one or more write-in candidates file for either mayor or council seats by Aug. 24.
