ELECTIONS : Filing Deadline Extended for Some Nov. 5 City, School Races

Considering a plunge into local politics?

There still are plenty of chances to compete on the Nov. 5 ballot.

In many South Bay communities it’s too late to qualify for the fall elections. But in several cities where eligible incumbents opted not to run for reelection, the filing deadline is still three days away.

In some cases, would-be candidates--both novices and incumbents eyeing higher office--have yet to lay their political cards on the table in the South Bay’s most wide-open races.

“This is like a poker game,” said Hawthorne City Councilman Charles Bookhammer, who is considering a run for mayor of his city. “I’m going to keep my options open as long as I can. I want to see who’s running.”

November’s elections will decide who holds city council seats in El Segundo, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Rancho Palos Verdes, and Rolling Hills Estates.

The polling will also fill the posts of mayor in Hawthorne, city treasurer and city clerk in Hermosa Beach, as well as seats on numerous South Bay school boards and the Palos Verdes Library District.

The filing deadline for those races was Friday at 5 p.m. But in contests in which the incumbent did not file for office, the deadline was automatically extended until 5 p.m. Wednesday.

In several instances incumbents were the only candidates to file for office. Barring successful write-in challenges, that means they are assured of another term in office. Such is the case for Hermosa Beach City Clerk Elaine Doerfling, El Segundo Unified School District incumbents Alan D. Leitch, Keith Wise and Christine Sherrill, and Lennox School District board members Mary Elizabeth Davis and Carmen Martinez.

Other incumbents, meanwhile, filed for reelection but face several challengers. Officeholders in that category include Torrance Unified School District incumbents Owen T. Griffith and Dave Sargent, who drew three opponents in the race for two seats on the board.

Then there are the races without an incumbent, the sort that usually spark intense competition.

In Hermosa Beach, nine challengers are seeking to fill seats vacated by incumbents Roger Creighton and Charles Sheldon, and additional challengers have three more days to join the race.

In Hawthorne, Mayor Betty Ainsworth has announced her intention to leave her post and run for the less time-consuming job of city councilwoman. As of Friday, two council members--Steven Andersen and Ginny Lambert--had filed for mayor.

Their seats, in turn, will be up for grabs since the pair were up for reelection this fall. As of Friday, three candidates had filed for those seats.

In El Segundo, a four-candidate field will compete in a special election to fill the council seat of Jim Clutter, who resigned in June for health reasons. The council called the election after failing to agree on an appointee to serve the remainder of Clutter’s term, which expires in April.

And in Rancho Palos Verdes, two of the three council members up for reelection this year--Douglas Hinchliffe and Mel Hughes--decided not to stand for reelection. The third, John C. McTaggart, filed for another term--and promptly drew criticism from Hughes.

“Frankly, I was disappointed to see Councilman McTaggart file again,” said Hughes. “I think it’s time to give other people a shot.”

Responded McTaggart: “I feel I still have plenty to contribute. I think I’m an asset to the city.”

As of Friday, four other candidates filed for the three seats.

Candidates on the November Ballot

Here are the candidates who have qualified so far to appear on the Nov. 5 ballot.

CITY OFFICES

EL SEGUNDO

City Council (1 at-large seat)

Steve Bower

Janice Cruikshank

Frank Long

Michael Robbins

HAWTHORNE

Mayor*

Steven Andersen

Ginny Lambert

City Council (2 at-large seats)*

Martha Bails

Paul Krehbiel

Jimmie Williams

HERMOSA BEACH

City Treasurer

Gary Brutsch (incumbent)

Saverio (Sam) Perrotti

Donna Willoughby-Brown

City Clerk

Elaine Doerfling (incumbent)

City Council (2 at-large seats)*

John D. (Jack) Andren

William M. Buchanan

Michael D’Amico

Gene H. Dreher

Sam Y. Edgerton

Warner P. Lombardi

Merna K. Marshall

Roy G. McNally

John J. Ryan

RANCHO PALOS VERDES

City Council (3 at-large seats)*

Susan Brooks

Barbara Dye

Dawn Henry

Steven T. Kuykendall

John C. McTaggart (incumbent)

ROLLING HILLS ESTATES

City Council (3 at-large seats)*

Mary Ann Olson

Peter Weber

* Filing deadline extended until 5 p.m. Wednesday.

SCHOOL BOARDS

EL CAMINO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

Trustee Area 1

Nathaniel Jackson

Mildred Tennyson McNair

Pat Scott (incumbent)

EL CAMINO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

Trustee Area 2

M.D. Currington

Delmer L. Fox (incumbent)

John A. Porter

Trustee Area 3

William Beverly (incumbent)

CENTINELA VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

Trustee Area 3

Michael A. Escalante (incumbent)

Virginia Rhodes

Trustee Area 4

Ruth S. Morales (incumbent)

Debra K. Wong

EL SEGUNDO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

(3 at-large seats)

For 2 full-term seats

Alan D. Leitch (incumbent)

Keith Wise (incumbent)

For partial term:

Christine Sherrill (incumbent appointee)

HAWTHORNE SCHOOL DISTRICT

(2 at-large seats)*

Buddy Takata (incumbent)

Jack Yee

HERMOSA BEACH CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

(2 at-large seats)*

Catherine McCurdy

Bob McEachen

LAWNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT

(3 at-large seats)

For 2 full-term seats

Diane Bollinger (incumbent)

Jerry Finley

Cecilia Jenkins

Patsy A. Roth (incumbent)

Shirley Rudolph

For partial term

Ann Phillips (incumbent)

LENNOX SCHOOL DISTRICT

(2 at-large seats)

Mary Davis (incumbent)

Carmen Martinez (incumbent)

MANHATTAN BEACH CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

(2 at-large seats)*

Bill Daugherty

Barbara J. Dunsmoor (incumbent)

Mary A. Rogers

Joel Shapiro

PALOS VERDES PENINSULA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

(2 at-large seats)

Jack H. Bagdasar (incumbent)

Joan Davidson

Barry Hildebrand

Joseph Sanford (incumbent)

SOUTH BAY UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

(2 at-large seats)*

Frank Bostrom

Kathy Campbell

Alan Honeycutt

Joseph Mark (incumbent)

Judy Swanson

William D. Wiener

TORRANCE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

(2 at-large seats)

T. Beck

Owen H. Griffith (incumbent)

Paul O’Brein

Dave Sargent (incumbent)

Robert Thompson

WISEBURN SCHOOL DISTRICT

(2 at-large seats)

Richard Mulligan (incumbent)

Richard Wilson (incumbent)

* Filing deadline extended until 5 p.m. Wednesday

OTHER OFFICES

PALOS VERDES LIBRARY DISTRICT

(3 at-large seats)*

William Glantz (incumbent)

Robert Goyette

Robert Rowe (incumbent)

Bryan Stevens

Christopher Tara

MIRALESTE PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT

(4 at-large seats)*

No candidates have yet filed

* Filing deadline extended until 5 p.m. Wednesday.