Milford residents have until Oct. 23 to file affidavits as write-in candidates for the Ward 2 City Council seat for which no candidate filed prior to the March 2 deadline.
Seward County Clerk Brandy Johnson said the seat being vacated by Ward 2 incumbent Waylon “Tony” DeLong would automatically advance to the November general election ballot without a candidate.
If only one person files an affidavit as a write-in candidate by Oct. 23, a single vote for the write-in candidate could win the election. If multiple write-in candidates register, the top vote-getter in November is elected.
Write-in regulations for the primary and general elections differ and information is available on the secretary of state’s website, sos.nebraska.gov.
Johnson said there is a May 1 filing deadline to be a write-in candidate for the primary election, but unless there is already someone seeking that nomination, there is not a need to file write-in candidacy papers until the Oct. 23 deadline for the general election ballot.
Only write-ins who have registered and paid the fee as a candidate are counted for election purposes, Johnson said. Ballots include write-in spaces for all positions.
The county’s May 12 primary ballot could decide all nine county positions on the ballot unless one or more write-in candidates file for candidacy. Only Republican candidates filed for those positions by the March 2 deadline.
Three of those nine positions have multiple candidates seeking the Republican nomination for the November ballot – the Seward County sheriff’s race and the Seward County Board of Commissioners seats for districts 3 and 5.
Jonathan Curtis of Seward is challenging District 5 Commissioner Ken Schmieding for the Republican nomination.
Three candidates have filed for the Republican nomination for the seat District 3 Commissioner Raegan Hain is leaving. Republican voters will determine which of the three – Tyler Dickinson, Kaely Eberspacher or Jon Propst – will be on the November ballot.
Three candidates have also declared their candidacy for the Republican nomination for Seward County sheriff – Tim Huntington, Troy Schaefer and Trey Wayne. Sheriff Mike Vance is retiring.
The other local positions on the ballot are non-partisan. A primary ballot is necessary for those if more than two candidates file for each vacancy.
For example, the Seward School Board race has three open seats and four candidates, but a primary ballot would be warranted only if there were more than six candidates.
Preston Hawley is the only new candidate to file in the last few days prior to the deadline. He is seeking one of three seats on the Centennial School Board ballot, for which all incumbents are seeking re-election.
Winter challenges Hughes
Dan Winter of Bradshaw is challenging District 24 Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward, according to the Nebraska Secretary of State’s election website list of candidates.
Two of the three people seeking the District 5 seat on the Nebraska State Board of Education are from Seward County. That nonpartisan primary race will include Michaela Conway of Crete, Angie Eberspacher of Beaver Crossing and Lana Daws of Seward.
Also, Maxwell Nordmeyer and David Brauer, both of Seward, are unopposed nonincumbent candidates for the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District’s Subdistrict 2 and Subdistrict 3 seats. No Seward County residents filed for Lower Platte South NRD seats.
Villages, educational service units and public power districts grossing annual revenues of less than $40 million have until June 15 to certify their vacant positions to the county clerk for inclusion in the fall general election.
Village board incumbents have until the general election deadline on July 15 to file for candidacy and so far, only Debra Frank of Staplehurst has filed papers. Nonincumbents have until Aug. 3 to file papers.
State ballot
nonpartisan candidates
Nebraska Legislature District 24: Incumbent Jana Hughes and non-incumbent Dan Winter.
State Board of Education District 5: Non-incumbents Michaela Conway, Lana Daws, Angie Eberspacher
Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District Subdistrict 2: Non-incumbent Maxwell Nordmeyer.
Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District Subdistrict 3: Non-incumbent David Brauer.
Seward County ballot
partisan candidates
(all Republican)
Seward County Commissioner District 1: Incumbent Misty Ahmic
Seward County Commissioner District 3: Non-incumbents Tyler Dickinson, Kaely Eberspacher, Jon Propst.
Seward County Commissioner District 5: Incumbent Kenneth Schmieding and non-incumbent Jonathan Curtis.
Seward County Treasurer: Incumbent Jacob Zlatkovsky.
Seward County Clerk: Brandy Johnson, appointed following Sherry Schweitzer’s retirement.
Seward County Assessor: Incumbent Marilyn Hladky.
Seward County Attorney: Incumbent Wendy Elston.
Seward County Clerk of the District Court: Incumbent Sheila Lueders.
Seward County Sheriff: Non-incumbents Tim Huntington, Troy Schaefer and Trey Wayne.
Non-partisan
Seward Mayor: Incumbent Joshua Eickmeier.
Seward City Council Ward 1: Incumbent Megan Kahler.
Seward City Council Ward 2: Incumbent Tatum Tonniges.
Seward City Council Ward 3: Incumbent Rich Wergin.
Seward City Council Ward 4: Incumbent Karl Miller.
Seward Airport Authority: Incumbents Erich Helge and Marvin Siefert.
Milford City Council Ward 1: Non-incumbent Kylie Schildt.
Milford City Council Ward 2: No candidate.
Centennial School Board: Incumbents Jason Richters, Derek Tomes, and Lana Hoffschneider and non-incumbent Preston Hawley.
Milford School Board: Incumbents Dave Welsch and David Dickinson, and non-incumbents Brandon Wergin and Colten Roth.
Seward School Board: Incumbents Jill Hochstein, Danielle Shipley, and Matt Hastings and non-incumbent Rebecca Hasty.
Staplehurst Village Board: Incumbent Debra Frank.
