Today last day to file: Lamont tops candidate gap

The town of Lamont tops the listing for seats still needing candidates for the fall election, according to a list posted by the auditor's office at the start of a three-day extended filing session which started at the election office Tuesday. The office of Lamont mayor and four town council seats failed to attract a candidate during last week's regular filing period. Steve Ulrich is listed as Lamont's mayor, and Vicki Falkenstein and Bob Falkenstein are listed as incumbents in county seats 2 and 3. The auditor's listing of open seats lists Lamont seats one and five on the council as vacant.

Whitman Hospital District seat three is also on the open list, along with Colfax School Board seat three. Tim Bruya is the incumbent in the hospital seat and David Nails is listed as incumbent in the school board seat.

Seat three on Fire District 11 for Colfax/Steptoe/Albion also remains open. Michael Bednar is the commissioner in that fire district.

Palouse City Council seat five, now held by Rod Wekerman, and Palouse School District seat one, now held by Chris Cook, are also open. Cook has filed to run for mayor of Palouse.

Fire districts make up most of the roster of open positions, with three in Tekoa District one, three in St. John district 2, and two each in Garfield district 3, Palouse 4, Lamont 5, Oakesdale 10 and Colton/Uniontown 14. LaCrosse and Wilcox/Dusty/Diamond fire districts each have one commission seat open as of the start of the extended filing period Tuesday.

Five seats in each on the LaCrosse and St. John Parks & Recreation districts remain open, two each in Rosalia and Tekoa, and one in Oakesdale.