With only two days left in the filing period, the lack of candidates in the Mesquite City Council election is quite startling. As of Wednesday noon, March 14, only four people have filed with the city clerk for three council seats.

This year marks the first election in which candidates must declare for a particular seat rather than running at large. Seat numbers do not limit the geographic area of representation like ward numbers do. Rather, it limits the candidates to running against a particular individual rather than a whole group. All seats carry a four-year term that expires in 2022.

Sandra Ramaker is the only person who has filed for Seat 1, currently filled by council member Geno Withelder. It’s unclear if Withelder intends to run for re-election. He has served on the city council since 2009. Ramaker previously served on the Virgin Valley Water District for six years and was defeated in her last re-election attempt in 2016. She has previously run unsuccessfully for city council.

Incumbent David Ballweg has no opponents so far in his re-election attempt for Seat 3. Ballweg was first elected in 2016 to fill the remaining term of Al Litman when he was named Mayor.

Two women new to Mesquite’s political community are running for Seat 4, currently filled by Council member Rich Green who has stated he is not running for re-election.

  1. Kay Mercer and Annie Black are the only two who at this point will have a contest.

Potential candidates have until 3:30 p.m. Friday, March 16 to file for the election with the Mesquite City Clerk.

The candidacy filing fee is $25, payable by cash, check, certified check, or money order.

Mesquite Municipal Code requires that a candidate be an actual and bona fide resident of the city and have been so for a period of at least one year preceding the election.  Also, each candidate must be a qualified elector who has resided within the boundaries of the city for a period of not less than 30 days immediately prior to the last day for filing a Declaration of Candidacy.

In another race, only Mesquite resident Cresent Hardy and Democrat Amy Vilela had filed by last week for the Congressional District 4 seat. Since then, with two days remaining until the deadline, a host of competitors have come forward.

David Gibbs, former Clark County Republican chair, and businessman Jeff Miller have filed as Republicans while former District 4 councilman Steven Horsford and Sierra Vista High School principal John Anzalone have filed as Democrats. Greg Luckner has filed as a Libertarian and Dean McGonigle has filed as nonpartisan.

Hardy is also a former holder of the seat, having defeated Horsford in 2014. He then lost to the current District 4 congressman Ruben Kihuen two years ago. Kihuen had announced he would not seek reelection amid sexual harassment allegations, but is said to be reconsidering a run.

The filing deadline is Friday. The primary election is Tuesday, June 12 and the general election is Tuesday, Nov. 6.