More candidates filing for Pierce County Board

With just days left before the filing deadline, the number of Pierce County Board districts without declared candidates has dropped to five and races are apparently emerging in three districts.

Redistricting has left three districts without incumbents. In two other districts, incumbents have filed declarations of non-candidacy.

The deadline for turning in nomination paper signatures – at least 20 and no more than 100 – is 5 p.m. Tuesday Jan. 3. A candidate must collect all 20 signatures from voters in the district in which he or she is a resident.

Here is the filing rundown as of 3 p.m. Friday:

District 1: There is no incumbent in this Prescott district, and no candidates at this point.

District 2: Incumbent LeRoy Peterson, town of Clifton, has completed the filing process. His name will appear on the ballot.

District 3: Incumbent Jon Aubart, River Falls, has completed the filing process.

District 4: Incumbent Rod Rommel, River Falls, has completed the filing process. Challenger Ruth Wood has declared her candidacy but has not filed nomination signatures.

District 5: Incumbent Ben Plunkett, River Falls, has filed nothing, and no one else has either.

District 6: There are two incumbents in this River Falls district: Paul Barkla and Cullen Peterson. Barkla has filed a notification of non-candidacy, but Peterson has filed nothing.

District 7: There are no incumbents and no candidates at this point in this River Falls district.

District 8: Incumbent Tom Sitz, town of River Falls, has filed a notification of non-candidacy. Ramona Gunter has filed a declaration of candidacy but not nomination signatures.

District 9: Incumbent Ken Snow, Spring Valley area, has completed the nomination process.

District 10: Incumbent Jim Ross, Elmwood, has filed nothing, nor has anyone else.

District 11: There are two incumbents is this district: Greg Place and Don Rohl. Place, of Ellsworth, has completed the nomination process. Rohl, rural Ellsworth, has filed nothing.

District 12: No incumbent. James E. Peterson has declared his candidacy but has not filed nomination signatures.

District 13: Incumbent Dan Reis, rural Ellsworth, has completed the nomination process. Challenger Glenn Spiczak has declared his candidacy but hasn’t filed nomination signatures.

District 14: Incumbent L. Ronald Bartels, Bay City, has completed the nomination process.

District 15: There are two incumbents in this district: Jerry Kosin, Prescott, and Chip Simones, Prescott. Kosin has completed the nomination process, but Simones has filed nothing.

District 16: Incumbent Jeff Holst, town of Diamond Bluff, has submitted a declaration of candidacy, but has not filed nomination signatures.

District 17: Incumbent Mel Pittman. Plum City, has completed the nomination process. Challenger Oake Gregory has declared his candidacy but has not filed nomination signatures.

Prospective candidates must register their candidacy and return their completed nomination papers to the county clerk. The clerk’s office is in the Courthouse, 414 W. Main St., Ellsworth. The phone number is 715-273-6744.

County board district lines were redrawn after the 2010 Census, which means some voters will vote in different districts than they did in the last election.

A map of the new Pierce County districts is available in the county clerk’s office.