— Election officials wrapped up on Wednesday the three-day filing period for municipal elections scheduled April 2.

Many of the nonpartisan races scheduled in the 13 towns and cities of local interest will be uncontested. A few contests, however, did take shape on the final day of filing.

In Muskogee County, where seven towns filed resolutions to conduct elections, only two contests will make it onto ballots. Muskogee County Election Board Secretary Kelly Beach said Braggs and Porum are the only two towns where elections will take place April 2.

“Seven towns filed resolutions, and we are going to have a trustee race in Braggs and a trustee race in Porum,” Beach said at the close of the filing period. “I really expected to have more people file.”

While the number of contests will be few, Beach said at least one candidate filed for every position up for election. Those candidates will win their positions by acclamation.

A few other races developed Wednesday in Wagoner County after two lean days left some posts without candidates until the final day of filing. In Wagoner, where five council seats and the city treasurer posts were up for grabs, only the city treasurer and Ward 4 seats will be uncontested. Voters in Okay and Porter will elect trustees for the posts open on their town boards.

Carole Hayes with the McIntosh County Election Board said two new races developed in Eufaula during the final day of filing. With the three candidates who filed for the Ward 1 post earlier this week, Eufaula will have three contests on its April 2 ballot. The remaining four positions will be uncontested.

In Checotah, where elections have become hotly contested in the past, every candidate who filed will win without opposition. Hayes described that development as unusual for Checotah.

In Cherokee County, Hulbert voters will have their choice of three candidates to fill two trustee positions.

Election officials said withdrawals or candidate contests must be filed by 5 p.m. Friday. The registration deadline for those who want to vote in the April 2 election is March 8.

Reach D.E. Smoot at (918) 684-2901 or dsmoot@muskogeephoenix.com.

Filings



Declarations of candidacies recorded during the three-day filing period for the April 2 elections:

Muskogee County

• Town of Braggs

Four-year trustee — Jahnathan Laymon and David Dotson.*

Town clerk/treasurer — Rebecca J. Smith.

• Town of Fort Gibson

Ward 4 trustee — T.J. Ellis.

Ward 2 Trustee — Chad Nail.

Town treasurer — Deborah L. Daniels.*

• Town of Haskell

Ward 2 trustee — Steve Ford.

Ward 4 trustee — Curtis Cox.*

• Town of Porum

Three at-large trustees — Dian Nicholson, Carl Warren, Don Dill, Ray Dill and Martha M. Long, Peggy Ann Cravens* and Trisha McCarn.*

• Town of Taft

Three at-large four-year trustees — Canzaty “Candy” Thompson, Leila Davis and Debra Culton.

Two at-large two-year trustees — Elsie Ceasar, Janice Bowler.

Town treasurer — Hazel Shipp.

Town clerk — Carmelia Cliney.

• Town of Warner

Two at-large four-year terms — Johnny Lewis, Jack Tatum.

One at-large two-year term — Position removed from resolution.

• Town of Webbers Falls

Two at-large trustees — James L. Wright and Toni Cox.*

Town clerk / treasurer — Sandra George.



Wagoner County

• City of Wagoner

Ward 1 — Jerry Merrell,* John E. French,* Jimmy Butler* and Marvin Stanley.*

Ward 2 — Phillip Sullivan and Bart T.J. Bogle.*

Ward 3 — Marshall Wilson, Larry Abernathy.

Ward 4 — Max Sanders.

Ward 2 (unexpired) — Mike D. Fleming* and Chris Hefner.*

City treasurer — Marie Morgan.

• Town of Okay

Three at-large trustees — Dennis R. Liles, Johnny Wilson,* Paco Frye,* Bradley A. Mathews* and Johnny Merrill.*

• Town of Porter

Two at-large trustees — Brent Fatkin (withdrew),* Ron Hart, Dennis Holmes and Tommy Cobb.*

One unexpired trustee — Michael L. Yochum,* Brent Fatkin* and Jim Terrill.*

Town treasurer — Joy Moreland Hendrix.*



McIntosh County

• City of Eufaula

Ward 1 — Frank Kuchish, Frank Davis and Brenda Lee Otis.

Ward 2 (four years) — Roger H. Barton.

Ward 2 (two years) — Beverly A. Ribardo and Donald W. Berryhill.*

Ward 3 (four years) — Kenneth M. Sloan and Jim R. Self.*

Ward 3 (two years) — Gene Dobson.*

Ward 4 — James Duty.

City clerk/treasurer — Donna Hysell.

• City of Checotah

Ward 1 — Earnest Myers.

Ward 2 — Larry Pouncil.

Ward 3 — William Wiles.

Ward 4 (four years) — Steve Dennis.

Ward 4 (two years) — Samuel K. Roberts.

City treasurer — Betty Hays.

City clerk — Shirley A. Stidham.



Cherokee County

• Town of Hulbert

Two at-large trustees — Ed Beckham, Shirley Teague and Kenneth R. Fore.



* Wednesday filers.