Monday, October 26, was the deadline to file as a candidate in the upcoming City of Centralia mayor and city council elections.
There will be a lottery held on Tuesday, November 3, for ballot positions and then the petitions will be submitted to the county for the ballot to be finalized. The election will be held on Tuesday, April 6, 2027.
“Since there are several candidates running for several seats, we would like to hold a candidates forum before the election in 2027,” says Marcus Holland, executive director of the Centralia Chamber of Commerce. “Traditionally, this is hosted by the chamber of commerce to foster positive communication in the community. It is a great way to hear from all of the candidates and learn about their policies and talking points.”
More details on the Candidates Forum will be released at a later date.
The new city council will begin in May 2027, after the winners are declared from April’s election.
The City of Centralia city council has a total of five seats. The four city council seats are four-year terms with two seats alternating for election every two years. The mayoral seat is a four-year term. Marion “Bunny” Garrett remains on the city council until 2029 to complete her term. Current mayor Bryan Kuder is not running for re-election.
The candidates running for City of Centralia city council and mayor are:
MAYOR (4-year term):
Dave Agee
Barri Allen (current city council)
Gretchen Douglas Brake
Joshua Qualls
CITY COUNCIL (4-year term) two seats:
Israel “Izzy” Fontanez (incumbent)
Rickey Garrett
Thommy Henegar (incumbent)
Judith Meeks-Hakim
Michael Reed
Debbie Smith
CITY COUNCIL (2-year term):
Patrick “Pat” Ashby
Douglas Dunahee
Julius Flagg
Richard “Ric” Neikes, Jr.