Candidate filing opens for city, school district elections July 18

Who wants to run for and serve in public office in Los Banos?

Filing for candidates in the November 8 election for mayor, city council, city clerk and city treasurer, as well as school board opens on Monday, July 18. That’s the first day candidates can obtain nomination papers to complete by gathering 20 or more signatures from registered voters within the district they’re running to represent. A filing fee is required but that can be reduced by gathering what are known as in-lieu of signatures.

Filing closes on August 12 in races where the incumbent is running for re-election and is extended until August 17 for races with an open seat.

In the city races, Mayor Tom Faria and Councilmembers Refugio Llamas in District 2 and Brett Jones in District 3 are up for election in November, as well as City Clerk Lucy Mallonee and City Treasurer Kimberly Ann Tomas. Candidates for mayor run for a two-year term, all others run for four-year terms.

The qualifications of a nominee and of an elective officer of the City are as follows: Must be a resident of and qualified elector in the City of Los Banos.

For the Los Banos Unified School District Board of Trustees, Area 1 Trustee Gene Lieb, Area 3 Trustee Marlene Smith, Area 5 Trustee Anthony Parreira and Area 7 Trustee Ray Martinez are up for election on November 8, all for four-year terms.

According to City Clerk Mallonee, forms for declaring candidacy are available at the Registrar of Voters office located at 2222 “M” Street, Room 14, Merced, beginning at 8:00 a.m. on July 18, 2022 and shall be filed no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 12, 2022 (except as noted above). To obtain additional information call the Merced County Registrar of Voters office at (209) 385-7541 or visit www.countyofmerced.com/3632/Elections.