The filing period for Keene’s municipal elections ended last week, giving rise to several contested races. They include the race for mayor, as well as for at-large, Ward 3 and 5 seats on the Keene City Council.
Here are names that will appear on the ballot:
Mayoral race
Mayor Jay Kahn and Bradford Hutchinson, who previously ran for mayor in 2023, are set for a rematch.
At-large City Council race
Eight candidates are vying for five, two-year terms as at-large city councilors.
Incumbent Councilor Randy Filiault and Councilor Mitch Greenwald, who currently represents Ward 2, are among those in the running. They join Emily Benson, Michele Chalice, Samantha Jackson, Robert Johnson, Steven Lindsey and Laura Ruttle-Miller.
Current at-large Councilors Kate Bosley, Bettina Chadbourne and Michael Remy are not seeking reelection.
City Council ward races
Ward councilors typically are elected to four-year terms. The races include:
- Ward 1: Jacob Favolise is running uncontested for the remainder of the term of his council seat, which he took over when his predecessor stepped down early last year. Incumbent Kris Roberts is running uncontested for reelection.
- Ward 2: Ed Haas, who is currently a city councilor at-large but filed for Ward 2, is running uncontested for that seat.
- Ward 3: Molly Ellis will run against John Schmitt. That seat is currently held by Councilor Andrew Madison, who is not seeking reelection.
- Ward 4: Incumbent Catt Workman is running uncontested.
- Ward 5: Shane Brown is challenging incumbent Philip Jones.
The ballot also contains candidates for election officers in Keene’s wards.
The municipal primary election is slated for Tuesday, Oct. 7. The general election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Barring write-in victories in the primary election, all candidates will advance to the general election.
Editor’s note: Candidate Robert Johnson is a multimedia account executive in The Sentinel’s advertising department. He is not involved in the newsroom, nor in the reporting, editing or decision-making related to Sentinel news coverage.
These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative.Don’t just read this. Share it with one person who doesn’t usually follow local news — that’s how we make an impact. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
