City of Marquette voters will have a packed field of candidates to choose from in the August primary when they vote to fill two opening Marquette City Commission seats.

According to a memorandum released by City Clerk Kris Hazeres, eight candidates—Evan Bonsall, Margaret Brumm, Sally R. Davis, Barret Engle, Andrew Lorinser, Jeremy Ottaway, Mike Plourde and Nina van den Ende—filed nominating petitions for City Commission and one candidate, Robert Niemi, filed for the Board of Light and Power by the April 23 deadline.

City Commission candidates are vying for two seats currently held by Dave Campana and Sarah Reynolds, who each face term limits. Because of the number of candidates for City Commission, an August primary will be held to narrow the list. The four candidates with the most votes in August will be on the November General Election ballot.

At least one City Commission candidate’s name will not appear on the primary election ballot because he has not been a qualified and registered voter of the city for at least one year prior to filing for election, which is required by the Marquette City Charter.

According to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by The North Wind, candidate Cody Mayer registered to vote in the City of Marquette in May. Missing the registration requirement has forced Mayer to run as a write-in candidate.

Of the candidates who have filed nominating petitions, three have run for a seat on the non-partisan seven member commission before. Ottaway did not advance past the 2018 primary. In the 2018 general election, Plourde lost a re-election bid, finishing third and Brumm finished fourth.

Both Lorinser and Mayer are currently enrolled as students at NMU.

Because there is only one candidate for the Board of Light and Power, there will be no primary election for it. Niemi served as mayor of the City of Marquette from 2013 to 2018 and was elected to Marquette City Commission in 2008.

Acting as the legislative branch of city government,the commission’s duties are to represent the citizens of Marquette, establish policies and approve the budget. The com- mission also has the power to hire a city manager and city attorney and to appoint citizens to serve on advisory boards and commissions.

“There’s a lot of responsibility [as a city commissioner],” Hazeres said in a recent interview. “It’s a 24/7 position. They [commissioners] have citizens calling them all over the place. It’s a very public position.”

Commissioners serve three- year terms and may not serve more than two consecutive terms.

Candidates still need to be verified by the City Election Board. Its meeting will take place today at 3 p.m. All candidates can withdraw their nomination until 4 p.m. on April 26.