Terrace voters will notice a familiar name or two and the switching of jurisdictions by some current elected officials now that nominations have closed for municipal, regional district and school district elections next month.
Bruce Bidgood, a Terrace city councillor until 2014 when he ran unsuccessfully against Carol Leclerc for the Terrace mayor’s position, is returning to local politics, this time as a candidate for the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine’s Terrace rural seat.
Bidgood was also the NDP candidate for Skeena in the 2017 provincial election but was defeated by B.C. Liberal Ellis Ross.
Jessica McCallum Miller, who is now the Terrace rural director on the regional district, is instead running for a Terrace council seat. She also ran for a Terrace council seat in 2014 but was unsuccessful.
Here’s a breakdown of the local scene.
Leclerc had faced a challenge from Kitimat resident and comic Danny Nunes AKA The Koo-Aid Man. But Nunes withdrew this week, saying he had accomplished his goal of raising electoral awarness.
This means Leclerc returns by acclamation for a second four-year term as mayor.
There are six Terrace council seats with incumbents Sean Bujtas, Lynne Christiansen, James Cordeiro and Brian Downie running again.
Also in the Terrace council race are the above-mentioned McCallum-Miller, Martin Holzbauer, Evan Ramsay and David Try who is also the vice chair of the Coast Mountain College Board.
In the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, incumbent Thornhlll director Ted Ramsey faces a challenge from Jeff Hammond.
And Holzbauer, in addition to his Terrace council aspirations, is running against Bruce Bidgood for the Terrace rural seat.
Harry Nyce, the current regional district director for the Nass Valley and Meziadin, faces a challenge from Eric Nyce while Hazeltons area director Linda Pierre faces a challenge from Dean Paranich.
Telegraph Creek-Iskut-Bob Quinn regional district director David Brocklebank was the only person to file for that seat and incumbent Dease Lake regional district director Tina Etzerza was the only person to file for that seat.
There’s a three-person race for the two Terrace seats on the Coast Mountains School District board with current trustee Art Erasmus running again. He faces Margaret Warcup, who is now one of two Kitimat trustees but who has since moved to Terrace, and Peter Lambright.
Sandy Watson now represents Thornhill on the school district board and she’s running again and will face Lorrie Gowen who has previously represented the community on the school district board.
Kitimat has two seats on the school district board and incumbent Ray Raj and Karen Jonkman were the only two people to file nomination papers.
School district incumbents Angela Brand Danuser in Stewart and Shar McCrory in Hazelton were the only two to file nomination papers in their communities.
Although nominated, candidates have until seven days after the close of nominations to withdraw.
Candidates don’t have to live in the jurisdiction in which they are running.
General voting day is Oct. 20.
