NOV. 5 ELECTIONS : Deadline Extension Draws More Candidates

The fields of candidates swelled Wednesday in some of the South Bay’s most competitive local election races, as would-be politicos took advantage of a deadline extension to enter contests in which incumbents opted not to run.

A total of 10 new candidates filed papers to appear on the Nov. 5 City Council election ballots in Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills Estates. New candidates also entered school board races in the Hermosa Beach City School District and the South Bay Union High School District.

The original filing deadline for local offices at stake in the November election was last Friday at 5 p.m. But a five-day extension was granted automatically in races in which eligible incumbents decided not to stand for reelection.

In Hawthorne, the open race for mayor remained a two-way contest between council members Steven Andersen and Ginny Lambert.

But three new candidates filed to run for the two City Council seats up for grabs--Mayor Betty J. Ainsworth, Larry Guidi and Ray Sulser. That brought the number of candidates in that contest to six. The others are Martha Bails, Paul Krehbiel and Jimmie Williams.

In Hermosa Beach, the field for two City Council seats grew from nine to 11, as Robert Benz and Peter Mangurian joined those who had already filed: John D. Andren, William M. Buchanan, Michael D’Amico, Gene H. Dreher, Sam Y. Edgerton, Warner P. Lombardi, Merna K. Marshall, Roy G. McNally and John J. Ryan.

The race for three seats on the Rolling Hills Estates City Council, meanwhile, widened to five candidates as Robert Beck, Larry Goldsmith and Barbara Rauch joined Mary Ann Olson and the lone incumbent, Peter Weber, in filing for office.

And in Rancho Palos Verdes, Kay Bara and H. Dennis Barr entered the race for the three council seats up for election. Five candidates had already filed: Susan Brooks, Barbara Dye, Dawn Henry, Steven T. Kuykendall and incumbent John C. McTaggart.

Decisions by incumbents not to run for reelection also prompted filing deadline extensions for several school board and special district races. Here is the county Registrar-Recorder Office’s complete listing of the candidates who filed to run in those contests:

Hawthorne School District (2 at-large seats)

* Buddy Takata (incumbent)

* Jack Yee

Hermosa Beach City School District (2 at-large seats)

* Catherine McCurdy

* Bob McEachen

* Vicki Garcia

Manhattan Beach City School District (2 at-large seats)

* Bill Daugherty

* Barbara J. Dunsmoor (incumbent)

* Mary A. Rogers

* Joel Shapiro

South Bay Union High School District (2 at-large seats)

* Cecilia Ball

* Frank Bostrom

* Kathy Campbell

* Alan Honeycutt

* Joseph Mark (incumbent)

* Judy Swanson

* William D. Wiener

Palos Verdes Library District (3 at-large seats) * William Glantz (incumbent)

* Robert Goyette

* Robert Rowe (incumbent)

* Bryan Stevens

* Christopher Tara

Miraleste Park and Recreation District (4 at-large seats) No candidates. Posts to be filled by appointment.