All Candidates Will Stay on Oswego Election Ballot

For now, it appears that Oswego residents will be able to choose from a full slate of candidates on April 7.

The Village of Oswego’s electoral board on Monday ruled that all candidates who filed nominating petitions will remain on the ballot, despite numerous challenges and confusion over the filing deadline.

Terry Michels, a current trustee running for village president, and trustee candidate Diane Selmer were the only candidates to file by a new, non-partisan election deadline of Nov. 24.

The remaining candidates believed they had until Dec. 22, a date incorrectly listed in election packets given to candidates and posted on the Village of Oswego website.

The electoral board on Monday voted to deny all objections filed by Michels and trustee candidate Joe West, according to Only Oswego.

All three electoral board members agreed that the trustee candidates who filed in December should be allowed on the ballot, while Village President Brian LeClerq felt that Tony Giles and Gail Johnson, both trustees seeking the village president seat, were privy to more information regarding changes to the village’s election procedure, Only Oswego reported.

In July, the village board approved a resolution stating that, going forward, the village would follow the non-partisan election process — which has an earlier filing deadline.

With LeClerq and trustee Judy Sollinger split on the issue, fellow electoral board member Terry Tamblyn cast the deciding vote to keep the candidates on the ballot.

LeClerq and Sollinger also disagreed whether Michels and Selmer, who both filed by Nov. 24, should stay on the ballot, according to Only Oswgeo. LeClerq maintained that they correctly followed the new non-partisan election law, while Sollinger said she believes the village’s July resolution is invalid. According to Sollinger, state law requires a referendum to change local election procedures — and there was no such referendum in Oswego.

Again, Tamblyn cast the final vote to keep all candidates on the ballot.

Despite the electoral board’s decision, both Michels and West have the option of filling appeals.

For now, here’s the full lineup of Oswego candidates for the April 7 election:

Village president

• Terry Michels
• Gail Johnson
• Tony Giles

Trustee (three spots up for election)

• Diane Selmer
• Ryan Kauffman
• Joe West
• Karin McCarthy-Lange
• Brian Thomas
• Rasma Motykowski

Read: More Objections Filed in Oswego Election; Candidate Wants Panel Member Removed

Who’s Running: A Roundup of Candidates for Village, School Board, Park District