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Primaries Assured In 2 Wards

Primaries Assured In 2 Wards image
Parent Issue
Day
30
Month
December
Year
1969
Copyright
Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

Primary elections for City Coiincil nominations will be held in at least two wards on Feb. 16. There remains a question of whether a primary will be held in the Fourth Ward. Contests were assured in the First and Third Wards yesterday as Torn Dennis Hilbert filed petitions to s e e k the first Ward Republican nomination and James George Jr. filed for the Third Ward Democratie nomination. Hilbert, of 1301 Pontiac, will face Mrs. LaVerne Hill of 515 Manor Dr. for the GOP nomination in the First Ward, with the winner of the primary facing Democrat John p. Kirscht. The latter was appointed to the First Ward seat vacated by Richard D. Remington last July. According to reports, three of the candidates seeking ward nominations are members of Concerned Citizens of Ann Arbor. These candidates- Hilbert, George and Larry F. Clark- will be atempting to upset the "official" candidates of the two major political parties. The February primary should give some indication of the political strength of the Concerned Citizens. This group has been circulating petitions in an attempt to recall seven of the eight Democratie council members, including Mayor Robert J. Harris. George, of 2824 Brandywine, will face Lois J. Owens in the Third Ward primary, with the winner going on to the April 6 election to face incumbent Repiíblican Joseph W. Edwards. In doubt early today was the Fourth Ward situation. Valid petitions were filed by incumbent Republican James E. Stephenson and Democratie challenger Charles W. Ferguson Jr. Clark of 906 Fifth, also filed petitions yesterday just prior to the 5 p.m. deadline. However, the city clerk's office reports that in checking Clark's petitions two invalid signatures were found. His petitions contained 51 signatures, with 50 required to run in the primary. City Clerk Harold Saunders was seeking an opinión on whether Clark's signatifre- which appeared on the petitions as a circulator- could be counted toward the necessary total of 50 names. The Second and Fifth Ward races are clear-cut as only one person form each party is seeki n g nomination. Incumbent ' Democrat Ernest L. Quenon will face Republican challenger Robert E. Weaver in the Second Ward in April, and incumbent Democrat LeRoy A. Cappaert will be seeking his fourth term in the Fifth Ward against GOP candidate Lloyd E. Fairbanks Jr. Democrats have five overs, while the Republicans have only one. Not up for election this term are the mayor, First Ward Democrat H, C. Curry, Second Ward Democrat Robert G. Faber, Third Ward Democrat Nicholas D. Kazarinoff, Fourth Ward Republican Roy E. Weber and Fifth Ward Democrat Henry L. Stadier. For the Republicans to take control of council in April they would have to win all five ward seats. Democrats can retain control by simply winning one. In years past, this one seat would have been all Democrats could expect but they would view such a result in April as a severe setback. Another factor to consider is adoption of the budget. It takes seven votes to do this and, therefore, the Democrats would have to win two seats in April to have the necessary seven votes to write their own budget. Democrats in the past dozen years have done well in non-mayoral years, with last I April being the first time since 1956 success has spilied over tq a mayoral election. There had been the I ty of a primary in the Second I Ward, but Geraldine S. Seeback I did not file the petitions she I had taken out for the Demo-I cratic nomination. I