Updated 5 p.m. Feb. 15: This post has been updated to include the additional candidates who have filed for the May 4 election as of Feb. 15. Candidate Kaye Maglitto filed for Willis City Council Place 5.




Updated noon Feb. 15: This post has been updated to include the additional candidates who have filed for the May 4 election as of Feb. 15. Candidates who filed after the original Feb. 8 post include incumbent Leonard Reed for mayor of Willis, incumbent Thomas Belinoski for Willis City Council Place 3, incumbent Barney Stone for Willis City Council Place 2, incumbent Jon Bickford for Montgomery City Council Place 1, candidate Nick Haddad for Montgomery City Council Place 3, and candidate Kent Pope for Montgomery ISD Trustee Place 3.




Residents interested in filing for local elections have until 5 p.m. Feb. 15 to file for the May 4 election. The positions open in the Conroe and Montgomery areas this year are for Willis mayor, Willis and Montgomery city councils and the Montgomery ISD board of trustees.

The filing period for the general election ballot opened Jan. 16, and the deadline to file is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15. The deadline to register to vote in the May election is April 4. Registered voters interested in early voting can do so April 22-30.


Willis mayor, City Council election
The city of Willis could soon see a change in leadership with Mayor Leonard Reed as well as all five Willis City Council positions—held by Tamara Young-Hector, Barney Stone, Thomas Belinoski, Thomas Luster and Bill Van Alstyne—facing re-election in May 2019.

Willis City Council voted in February 2014 to amend its city home rule charter, therefore moving all city elections to the May uniform election date in odd-numbered years, according to City Council minutes. The charter amendment was passed in the May 10, 2014 election, Willis City Secretary Marissa Quintanilla said.

Quintanilla said eight candidates have filed with the city as of Feb. 15—four of the incumbents Young-Hector, Luster, Belinoski and Stone filing for re-election to their respective positions. Meanwhile, candidates William Brown and Kaye Maglitto filed for City Council Place 5, which is a position currently held by Council Member Bill Van Alstyne, who has not filed for re-election as of press time.

Additionally, candidate Cloresa Porter filed for mayor of Willis, a position that has been retained by Reed since he was elected to the role in 2003. Reed has also filed for re-election.





Montgomery City Council election
Three Montgomery City Council positions are up for re-election in May: City Council Place 1 held by Jon Bickford, City Council Place 3 held by T.J. Wilkerson, and newly appointed Council Member Tom Cronin for Place 5.

Cronin, Wilkerson and Bickford have filed for re-election as of Feb. 15. Additionally, candidate Nick Haddad also filed for City Council Place 3, a position currently held by Wilkerson.





Montgomery ISD board of trustees election
Two Montgomery ISD board of trustees positions are up for election, including Place 6 trustee Ken Thomet, who also serves as board president, and Place 7 trustee Trish Mayne.

Five candidates have filed an application with MISD as of Feb. 15, according to district officials. Candidates Matt Fuller, Larry Hereford and Kent Pope filed for Place 6, currently held by Thomet, and candidates Gary Hammons and Russell Messecar filed for Place 7, currently held by Mayne. Thomet and Mayne have not applied for re-election as of Feb. 15.