Ohio University students among the list of candidates for the upcoming city elections

With the last election season only three months behind us, it is already time to start thinking about the next election in Athens County. Wednesday was the deadline for prospective candidates to submit their information for the primary election, which will be on May 5, 2015.All candidates are running as Democrats, with the exception of the three students, who are all running as Republicans. One of the students running is Aaron Dauterman, a junior Communication Studies major who lives in Bromley Hall.“When I first came to Ohio University, I started watching City Council meetings,” Dauterman said. “I think one of the biggest issues in the city is the relationship between the city officials and the students.”Dauterman says one of his goals for the election season is to reach Ohio University students. His campaign strategy, which he used to collect the fifty signatures required to run, is a mix of grassroots and social media. He plans to hold events both on and off campus to gain support for his run.When Mayor Paul Wiehl announced in December that he would not be running again in the next election and speculation began about who would run to replace him, At-Large Rep. Steve Patterson discussed the possibility of running. Patterson cemented his decision to run in the next election on the Democratic ticket against a lone challenger, an OU student, named Andrew Looker.Kathy Hecht, who is fresh off an unsuccessful campaign for County Auditor, will be running unopposed for City Auditor.The incumbent City Council members First Ward Rep. Kent Butler, Second Ward Rep. Jeffrey Risner, Third Ward Rep. Michele Papai and Fourth Ward Rep. Chris Fahl are all running unopposed for the same positions.Incumbent At-Large Rep. Jennifer Cochran is running for reelection. City Council President Chris Knisely and At-Large Rep. Michael Canterbury are running for reelection in their respective positions. Canterbury was appointed to replace Knisely as At-Large Representative when she was selected to replace former Council President Jim Sands, who stepped down in December due to medical complications.Others running for City Council member At-Large include Sandy Golenberg, Dennis Johnson, Peter Kotses, Joan Kraynanski, Maxine Rantane, Alan G. Swank and C.J. Fogarty, who is also an Ohio University student.Todd Grace, who is currently with Grace & McGee Attorneys at Law on W. Washington Street, is running unopposed to become a Municipal Court Judge. Grace is running to replace Judge William A. Grim, who is retiring from the Municipal Court where he has been a judge since 2003.Current Chief City Prosecutor Lisa Eliason is running for City Law Director. The current Law Director, Patrick J. Lang, who attended his final city council meeting on Monday, will leave to become a Judge in the Athens County Court of Common Pleas.