Lancaster Council Race Drops to 16 Candidates
The field of candidates seeking three Lancaster City Council seats has narrowed from 18 to 16 after two would-be contenders failed to submit enough valid petition signatures to qualify for the April 10 ballot, a city official said Friday.
City Clerk Carla Johnson said Mike Dansand, a 63-year-old retired engineer, and Barbara Kent, a 19-year-old restaurant employee, came up short of the requirement that candidates submit signatures of 20 people registered to vote in the city.
Their failure to qualify still left 16 candidates, the most in years, seeking the three at-large council seats. Mayor Lynn Harrison and Councilman Els Groves did not seek reelection, leaving two vacant seats. Councilman Arnie Rodio filed to keep his seat for a second term.
Johnson said the two would-be candidates were disqualified after a check showed Dansand with only 18 valid signatures and Kent with only 15. Each had signatures from people who were not registered to vote, who were not registered at their current address or who lived outside the city.
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