Heather Wright/The Independent

The mayors races in the municipal elections are heating up with one Sarnia candidate withdrawing from the race for the top job and another person adding their name to the list to run in St. Clair Township.

In St. Clair Township, there will be an election for the mayor’s chair.

Incumbent Jeff Agar filed his nomination papers to run for a second term when the nomination period opened May 4. Until yesterday, he was the lone candidate for the job.

Aug. 19, Bruce Gibson filed his papers to run for the mayor’s seat. Gibson is a newcomer to politics. He was in the banking industry and now is a business consultant.

Gibson filed his papers with just three days left in the nomination period.

In Sarnia, City/County Councillor Chrissy McRoberts withdrawn from the race for mayor, choosing to run for second term as a city/county councillor. As of 10:30 am Aug. 20, there are now four people running for the mayor’s chain of office.

“I don’t want to be the reason for vote splitting,” she said in an online video, adding another person is expected to file nomination papers today. McRoberts says she will be supporting Carrie McEachren, urging her supporters to also support the Chamber of Commerce head “to prevent what could possibly be the worst vote in the history of the city.”

As is his usual custom, the current Sarnia mayor has yet to say whether he’ll seek re-election as the clock ticks down. Normally, Mike Bradley waits until second last or last day of nominations to file his papers.

There is another candidate in the mayor’s race – George Stanko. He’s a professional engineer who recently questioned the cost of purchasing a fire truck from the US.

At the height of the pandemic, Stanko made news for organizing a rally at the home of Lambton’s medical officer of health to protest vaccine mandates. An email from Stanko obtained in 2021 by The Sarnia Observer called the vaccine mandate messaging “misleading wrong and dangerous for all that get the jab.”

The councillor’s election in Sarnia has become a little more colourful as former councillor and mayoralty candidate Nathan Colquhoun entered the race Tuesday.

During his first term of office between 2018 and 2022, Colquhoun was part of some interesting exchanges, including one where he dressed in beach attire to make a point that a dress code wasn’t needed for councillors.

More recently, Colquhoun, as the owner of The Sarnia Journal, criticized the leadership of the Sarnia Police Service, particularly the hiring by Chief Derek Davis. A workplace investigation surrounding the Chief is now underway and Davis is suspended.

Colquhoun isn’t the only new candidate. Real Estate agent Michelle Parks, incumbent Anne Marie Gillis, and newcomers Charmaine Murray and Tammy Mathieson also filed papers to run for a city councillors’ seat.

There are now 20 people seeking the four available positions. Thirteen people have filed to run for the four city/councillor seats although there have been no new entries into the race since Aug. 5.

As the deadline nears, the slate of candidates across Lambton County is getting bigger.

TOWN OF PETROLIA

Three more people have also entered the race for councillor in Petrolia.

Ten people are now in the running for six council spots in Petrolia. Former mayoralty candidate Richard Poore has tossed his hat into the ring. Poore was also an administrator for the town before retirement.

Dawn Stillwell has also filed her papers to seek a council seat. Stillwell, a small business owner and podcaster, currently volunteers with a local daycare co-op and on the Lambton County Developmental Services board.

Newcomer Nicole Ramsay has also filed to run for councillor.

As of close of business Aug. 18, only Joel Field is listed as a candidate for mayor. But barring a last minute entry into the race, it appears Petrolia’s current deputy mayor will be acclaimed to the top job.

TOWN OF PLYMPTON-WYOMING

In Plympton-Wyoming, there is one new candidate for the councillor position. John Colling of Wyoming filed his papers Monday.

Eight people are now vying for five positions.

There will be a race for both the mayor and deputy mayor positions with incumbent Gary Atkinson and former councillor Tim Wilkins seeking the top job.

Incumbent deputy mayor, Netty McEwen, faces a challenge from Developer Brad Zantingh.

ENNISKILLEN TOWNSHIP

Enniskillen hasn’t had an election for municipal councillors since 2014 or for mayor since 2003. And it may not happen this time around either. Incumbent mayor Kevin Marriott is the only person who has filed paper for the mayor’s job.

Incumbent councillors Judy Krall and Tim Williams are also seeking re-election with newcomer Jason Armstrong also seeking one of four council positions.

TOWNSHIP OF DAWN-EUPHEMIA

Dawn-Euphemia will have an election for councillors this time around after two terms of councillors being acclaimed.

There are seven people seeking a councillor’s seat including Adam McBrayne who filed his papers Friday and incumbent councillor Jason Meyer who filed his papers Tuesday.

Al Broad remained the lone candidate for mayor.

MUNICIPALITY OF BROOKE-ALVINSTON

As of Aug. 20, it is a three-way race for mayor in Brooke-Alvinston.

Current councillor Don McCabe has joined the race. Jamie Armstrong, who ran for mayor last election, and Tom Scott, who ran for the position in 2018, are also on the ballot.

Seven people are in the running for four positions as councillor.

WARWICK TOWNSHIP

In Warwick, as the clock ticks toward the close of nominations Friday, incumbent Todd Case is the lone person running for the mayor’s seat.

The incumbent councillors, Wayne Morris, Joe Manning and John Cowenberg are facing a challenge by new political candidates Jane Joris, a former administrator with Lambton County, and Marty Vanos.

LAMBTON SHORES

So far in Lambton Shores, there are only two wards where there are races for a councillor’s seat – Forest and the ward containing Port Franks and Thedford.

New candidates have filed nomination papers in Ward 1 – Chris Vanderydt, and Ward 2 – Dave Maguire.

As of Aug. 18, there is no one nominated in Ward 3, which includes the Ipperwash area. If no one files papers before the Aug. 21 nomination date, the nominations will re-open for another week.

Nominations for the Oct. 26 municipal elections close Friday at 2 pm.