Jon. J Mercurio didn’t file enough signatures to qualify to run for mayor of
That leaves District 6 City Councilor Ken Miyagishima as the only challenger to Mayor Bill Mattiace.
Mercurio needed 150 signatures of registered voters who live in
“Because he didn’t meet the 150-signature requirement, his name won’t appear on the ballot,” Vigil said.
Mercurio could not be immediately reached for comment.
Vigil didn’t know why 58 signatures Mercurio collected were ruled invalid, but said most often signatures are disqualified because they come from people who live in
A representative of Mercurio, who filed his paperwork for him last week, was notified this morning of the disqualification, Vigil said. The clerk plans to announce the official list of candidates later today.
Mercurio, a political newcomer, said in a news release announcing his candidacy that he planned to run on a platform of “fiscal responsibility that stretches across the spectrum from smart growth, participation of the average citizen in their government, open government, infrastructure improvement for the existing community, job creation and quality of life.” He is opposed to public funding for downtown revitalization.
Mercurio’s disqualification most likely benefits Miyagishima. The District 6 councilor has twice run unsuccessfully against Mattiace. Four years ago, Mattiace received 40 percent of the vote to Miyagishima’s 25 percent, and three additional challengers split the other 35 percent. Had the other challengers not been in the race, Miyagishima might have won.
In addition, Miyagishima is running on his most defined platform yet – that the city’s growth is out of control and needs to be slowed – and he’s backed by citizens who have been galvanized by their opposition to the approval in April of the gross receipts tax increase to help fund the spaceport and in May of a massive development on the East Mesa. Some of those citizens were torn about whether to support Miyagishima or Mercurio.
Update, 1:20 p.m.
All other candidates who filed last week qualified to be on the ballot, the city announced today. Here is the official list of candidates:
• Mayor: William “Bill” Mattiace, incumbent, and District 6 Councilor Ken Miyagishima
• City Council District 1: Jose V. Frietze, incumbent, Conrado M. Guerra, Rondeau M. Gurley and Miguel G. Silva
• City Council District 2: Dolores Connor, incumbent, and Vincent Boudreau
• City Council District 4: Steven F. Montano, Isaac E. Chavez and Nathan P. Small. Incumbent Steven Trowbridge is not running for re-election.
• Presiding Municipal Court judge: Melissa Miller-Byrnes, incumbent, and Conrad F. Perea
At approximately 5:01 p.m. today, the candidates will draw for ballot position in the City Clerk’s office.