Kaplan, Bryson Take Out Petitions for Council

Two new potential candidates for Ann Arbor city council – Nancy Kaplan in Ward 2 and Leon Bryson in Ward 5 – have taken steps toward running in the Aug. 5, 2014 Democratic primary. And in Ward 3, Bob Dascola has filed petitions, though he’s been told by the city clerk’s office that he’s not eligible to run.

In Ward 2, Nancy Kaplan – who serves on the board of the Ann Arbor District Library – took out petitions on Wednesday, March 26 to run for the city council seat. Kaplan’s term on the AADL board runs through 2016. Another potential candidate in Ward 2, Kirk Westphal, took out petitions on Jan. 15 but has not yet filed signatures. Westphal currently serves as chair of the city’s planning commission.

The Ward 2 incumbent, Sally Petersen, is not running for re-election to that seat. She’s one of four sitting councilmembers who are running for mayor instead.

In Ward 5, Leon Bryson took out petitions on Tuesday, March 25 to run against incumbent Chuck Warpehoski, who took out petitions on Nov. 7, 2013.

In Ward 3, Dascola filed petitions on March 26 to run for city council. However, the city clerk’s office has informed him that he’s not eligible to run because he doesn’t meet the city’s one-year residency and voter registration requirement. [Updated March 28: The city clerk's office has now verified 103 signatures for Dascola, but the question about his eligibility remains.] The other candidate who has taken out petitions for that race is Julie Grand. She competed in the August 2013 primary against Stephen Kunselman, who received more votes in that race. The seat is open this year because incumbent Christopher Taylor is running for mayor.

April 22 is the deadline to file petitions for the Ann Arbor city council and mayor in the Aug. 5 partisan primary. So far, only two candidates who’ve been declared eligible have filed the number of signatures required to appear on the ballot – 250 for mayor (50 from each of the city’s five wards) and 100 for council. Ward 3 councilmember Stephen Kunselman filed signatures on March 17, and 286 signatures were verified by the city clerk’s office on March 18 – so he’ll appear on the mayoral ballot for the Aug. 5 Democratic primary.  Other councilmembers who have taken out petitions for mayor are Sabra Briere (Ward 1), Sally Petersen (Ward 2) and Christopher Taylor (Ward 3).

Ward 1 incumbent Sumi Kailasapathy filed petitions on March 19, and 102 signatures were verified by the clerk’s office on March 20. The only other person shown in city clerk records to have taken out petitions for Ward 1 is Eric Sturgis. But an asterisk recorded next to his name includes a note that says Sturgis has indicated to the clerk’s office that he does not intend to file signatures to become a candidate. Sturgis contested the Ward 1 Democratic primary in 2012, which was won by Kailasapathy.

The only candidate to take out petitions in Ward 4 is Graydon Krapohl, who currently serves as vice chair of the city’s park advisory commission. The incumbent, Margie Teall, has stated that she does not intend to run for re-election.

All candidates who have taken out petitions so far are Democrats.