Ryan enters race for city's at-large Council position
By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com

The upcoming May El Campo City Council election became a race Thursday as Tim Ryan, the man currently suing the municipality in an effort to force recent annexations to a vote, filed the necessary paperwork to put his name on the ballot.

At the same time, Ryan has taken his lawsuit to a court of appeals (please see related story).

With Ryan entering the city political arena, there are now four candidates seeking the three at-large positions on the May ballot.

In El Campo, the top three vote- getters of all at-large candidates earn the posts. Historically, the mayor and mayor pro tem are selected from these three posts.

Currently, Mayor Phillip Spenrath and Mayor Pro Tem Kenneth Martin are the at-large representatives. There is also a vacant at-large chair previously occupied by Kyle Smith.

In addition to Ryan, incumbents Spenrath and Martin have filed along with El Campo volunteer firfi.ghter Otha Edison.

Unless Ryan's suit can force annexation to a vote, the May ballot will be the first for those in annexed areas.

Candidate filing for the city of El Campo, El Campo school district, Wharton County Junior College, Isaacson Municipal Utility District and the Louise water board got under way Feb. 11 and will run though March 10.

Other filings are:

El Campo ISD - Positions held by trustees Melissa Erwin (Position 7) and Tommy Turner (Position 6) are up for a vote.

Retired high school German teacher and former El Campo Mayor Paul Soechting has filed for the Position 6 seat, as has Turner, the incumbent.

For the Position 7 seat, Erwin is currently unopposed in her re-election bid.

Wharton County Junior College - Three positions are up for election: Position 3, held by Georgia Krenek of Wharton; Position 4, held by Phil Stephenson of Wharton; and Position 8, held by Oliver W. Kunkel Jr. of Needville.

All incumbents have now filed and are currently unopposed.

West Wharton County Hospital District - In the West Wharton County Hospital District, the terms of incumbents Michael Appling, Stephen Cooper, Kristi David, Chip Jenkins, Richard Kerzee and Billy Rioux are up for election.

District Clerk Irma Rocha reports all incumbents, with the exception of Rioux who resigned last week have filed.

Anthony Cisneros, who will be sworn in Monday as Rioux's replacement, filed for the election Friday.

Water Districts - In the Isaacson Municipal Utility District, seats currently held by Floyd Fisher, Floyd Shimek and Joe Juroska Jr. are up for contention.

All three incumbents have filed for reelection so far.

In the Louise water district, positions held by A.E. Thomas and Paul Blumrick are set to expire.

Manager Eula Mae Crowell reports both incumbents have filed for an additional term.