The single contested race will be for Place 3 on Shenandoah City Council, currently held by Dean Gristy.
Gristy withdrew his initial filing since he said he will move out of the city in a few months.
John Escoto and Jon Samuelson have also filed for the seat. Escoto said he is a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission and has been working on its 10-year plan.
“I’ve learned a lot about the city, and I see this as an opportunity for a bigger role and to join the team that’s doing a fantastic job,” he said.
Samuelson said he has expertise in accounting, in business processes as a systems analyst and in the field of information technology.
“I am interested in the city and its government and want to offer my services,” he said. “I believe I am very qualified.”Incumbents in the other two seats filed to run unopposed in the nonpartisan elections.
Steve Leakey, president of the Montgomery County nonprofit Voters Awareness Council which works to inform area voters, said May elections typically have much lower turnout than November.
Leakey said lack of participation can signal a lack of information that is available to constituents. The VAC works to address low interest through informative events such as candidate forums, he said.
“As a result of [forums], sometimes people will say ... ‘Maybe I ought to run,’” he said.
In Oak Ridge North, the election was canceled for the third year in a row, and only two elections have been held in the last eight years, officials said. The unopposed candidates will automatically take the seats for which they filed.
