Mayor Edward Neal, who represents District D, has not filed to run for re-election, and as of Monday, there were no takes for that district seat. It appears that Chris Schalde, who earlier this year was appointed to the council, has declined to run in District C. The Leader contacted both council members, but they did not return calls by press time.

Former West Hills College Chancellor Frank Gornick, as of Monday night, was the only candidate to file in District C, a two-year term left vacant by Chad Billingsley, who resigned shortly into his term to take a job in Denver, Colorado. Gornick has an impressive resume that includes a 25-year tenure at West Hills College. He was recently honored as a Lemoore Citizen of the Year.

So far, District B, one of five Lemoore districts, has claimed the most candidates as a former longtime mayor and council member, Ed Martin, has thrown his hat into the ring. Former Lemoore Police Officer Jim Chaney has filed to run as has Mary “Janie” Venegas, a former Lemoore City Clerk.

Martin is a retired educator and administrator who served on the Lemoore City Council for 18 years, eight of those years as the town’s mayor. He was also the 2001 Lemoore Citizen of the Year. He is a two-time Lemoore Rotary Club president and has served in a plethora of community activities throughout his Lemoore tenure.

In District E, Patricia Matthews has opted to run. Matthews, a “Chief Home Officer,”  lives on Burlwood Lane in Lemoore. She is a safety volunteer at her church and is involved in various community outreach events throughout the year, and as of Monday, she is the only filer in the district. Councilmember John Plourde, who was appointed to the seat, has apparently declined to run again.