Six candidates file their papers in the quest for Councillor Rice's seat

The race is now on to replace now former Councillor Jennifer Rice at the City Council table.

With six Prince Rupert residents having submitted their names by the Friday deadline, seeking to claim the seat of Ms. Rice, who moved on to a higher electoral calling and now represents the North Coast as an NDP MLA in Victoria.

The six make for an interesting group with two candidates who have sought office before among the group.

Len Lovering ( who it seems is a frequent contributor of late to the Northern View letters to the editor pages), is looking to gain a seat on council, his last attempt for electoral success came in 2002 a run for office which came up a little short at the end of the vote count.

Also making a return to the ballot is James Kirk, who ran in the most recent Municipal election,  gaining  764 votes in the 2011 election, falling 316 votes short of the cut off mark claimed by Councillor Judy Carlick-Pearson.

In addition to those candidates with a bit of past experience in a municipal campaign, three relative newcomers to municipal politics are also seeking the support of voters.

With Barry Cunningham, Wade Niesh and Gurvinder Randhawa also submitting their names in candidacy, looking to make their mark on the municipal scene.

One name on the ballot which will certainly stand out for the current members of City Council, will be that of Larry Golden who is also looking to fill that empty sixth seat.

Mr. Golden is perhaps best known for his frequent attendance at Council sessions and for his many questions of the Mayor and councillors, sometimes a contribution which tends to create a bit of controversy.

A prospect of his electoral success could offer up some interesting conversations around the Council chamber we imagine, should he find the support of voters on election day.

At least that might be the impression voters might have if his most recent appearance at the September 30th session of Council is any indication of what Council watchers could be in store for.

Over the course of the next month and a bit, we will no doubt learn more about each of the six looking to represent the city's residents. With perhaps, even a candidates debate to be arranged, so as to help us get a better understanding of what they have to offer before the November 16th by-election.

Councillor Rice's seat at City Hall has been vacant since she submitted her resignation from Council on June 10th.

The successful candidate in November's by-election will serve out the remainder of her term on City Council, which will lead up to the next Municipal election campaign of November of 2014.

The official listing of the names for the by-election can be found on the City's website.

Those would be councillors who develop cold feet have until October 18th to remove their name from the ballot without a bit of paperwork, anyone looking to challenge the nomination of any of the candidates has until October 15th to make their concerns known.

We'll have further updates on the by-election campaign as we head towards election day, for those looking for a full review of events at City Hall, more can be found from our archive page.