Council draws 7 hopefuls, ECISD 4
Candidate field heavy for May elections in city, school, IMUD
By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com

The May races are on in the city of El Campo, El Campo Independent School District and the Isaacson Municipal Utility district with packs of candidates for voters to consider.

Seven candidates are vying for three at-large seats in the city of El Campo while four hopefuls are running for two school board positions on upcoming May ballots.

On the IMUD ballot, four candidates are seeking three seats on the board.

Richard Young, executive vice president of Greenleaf Nursery and chairman of the city's Planning & Zoning Commission, filed Friday morning, bringing the total number of City Council at-large candidates to seven.

In addition to Young, incumbents Mayor Phillip Spenrath, a teacher and basketball coach, and Mayor Pro Tem Kenneth Martin, a business owner, are facing challenges from:

• Henry Dornak Jr., a retired engineer and past Council- man;

• El Campo volunteer firefighter and pastor Otha Edison;• Farmers Co-op of El Campo General Manager Jimmy Roppolo; and

• Tim Ryan, owner of Muldoon's. Ryan is suing the city and its Council in an effort to force recent annexations to a vote on the Citizens for a Responsible El Campo platform.

The third at-large seat was vacated recently by the resignation of Kyle Smith after a new job forced his resignation.

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

On the El Campo ISD ticket, voters will be asked to decide on two individual races.

In Position 6, incumbent Tommy Turner, a rice producer and president of Rice Marketing Association, is facing challenger Paul Soechting, a construction company owner and retired ECHS German teacher.

In Position 7, incumbent Dr. Melissa Kainer Erwin, an El Campo dermatologist, is facing salesman Clayton Ryan.

In the IMUD, incumbents businessmen Floyd Fisher, Floyd Shimek and Joe Juroska Jr. face challenger Brenda George, a nurse, on the May ballot.

The top three vote-getters will win seats on the board.

Early voting for all these board positions is April 28 to May 6 with Election Day falling on Saturday, May 10.

With no opposed candidates, the following governmental entities will be canceling their May elections allowing incumbents to return unopposed for another term unless a write-in candidate files on March 17.

They are:

Wharton County Junior College - The three incumbents set to return are Position 3, Georgia Krenek of Wharton; Position 4, Phil Stephenson of Wharton; and Position 8, Oliver W. Kunkel Jr. of Needville.

West Wharton County Hospital District - Incumbents Michael Appling, Stephen Cooper, Kristi David, Chip Jenkins, Richard Kerzee and Anthony Cisneros are set to return.

Louise Water District - A.E. Thomas and Paul Blumrick should be re-sworn in May.