Filing for the April 2020 Jefferson City Council election officially opened at 8 a.m. Tuesday, and before the first half-hour was up, six candidates had filed for the five open positions.
Ward 3 Councilwoman Erin Wiseman, Ward 4 Councilman Ron Fitzwater and Ward 5 Councilman Jon Hensley will run for re-election to their positions.
Wiseman hopes to be elected to her third term, while Fitzwater and Hensley are running for their second full terms. Terms are two years, and council members are limited to a total of eight years. Because he started in the middle of a term, Fitzwater will have served three years in April.
Three new names will also be on the April ballot. Ward 1 Councilman Rick Prather and Ward 2 Councilman Rick Mihalevich will term out in April, leaving their seats open.
Hank Vogt filed for the open Ward 1 seat, while Michael Lester and Aaron Mealy filed for the Ward 2 position.
As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, Ward 2 is the only contested race.
Candidates for each ward will be listed on the ballot in the order they file. For Ward 2, Mealy will be listed first.
The filing period ends at 5 p.m. Jan. 21.
Candidates can file any day. City Hall, 320 E. McCarty St., is open for regular business 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Council members must be at least 21 years of age, a U.S. citizen, a qualified voter in the city and must have lived in Jefferson City for at least a year and within in the ward they wish to represent for six months prior to the election.
To file for a council seat, potential candidates need to bring three endorsements from residents in the ward they wish to represent, as well as a Missouri Department of Revenue Form 5120, which must be signed before a notary and filed with the DOR. A copy of the form should be provided to the city before the candidate can complete the paperwork to file for office.
The municipal election will take place April 7.