Last call for Newport candidates

The line-up of Newport Beach City Council candidates is nearly solidified with the filing deadline approaching at 5 p.m. today, and it appears Councilman Steve Rosansky may have to battle two competitors to be reelected, while Mayor Ed Selich can walk to the finish line.

No one has pulled papers to run for Selich’s district except the mayor, and with the deadline only hours away, it would be virtually impossible for anyone to make a run at it now. Therefore, Selich — who was appointed to the City Council in 2005 and won reelection in 2006 — will run unopposed in 2008.

But as the race for District 5 — Selich’s district — seems to be a one-man show, the battle for District 2 is shaping up to be a three-horse race.

Incumbent Rosansky filed papers this morning along with Gloria Alkire, an educator and former superintendent for a Bakersfield school district, and loan officer Jorge Lopez, according to the City Clerk’s office. Rosansky has been approved, but the City Clerk’s office is still waiting for approval of Alkire and Lopez from the county.

Attorney Michael Alti, whose law firm represents Concerned Citizens of Newport Beach, has decided not to pursue City Council despite pulling papers earlier this week.

The other competitors who are officially in the race are Councilman Keith Curry and the woman vying for his seat, Dolores Otting, who have both filed papers and have been approved.

— Daniel Tedford