Four candidates now plan to run for Rochester City Council president in a special election Mar. 19.
In November, city voters re-elected Dennis Hanson to the position, even though Hanson had died months earlier. Because he’d already filed for re-election, his name stayed on the ballot.
Hanson’s family and supporters successfully pushed his campaign, though, saying that some qualified candidates hadn’t filed for the November election because Hanson was in the running. When he died, it was too late for others to jump in the race and there was only one other candidate on the ballot, Jan Throndson.
Hanson did win, with 51 percent of the vote.
Throndson, who had 43 percent of the vote in November, will try again, as will write-in candidate Jeff Thompson who had almost 6 percent.
Also in the race are City Council Member Michael Wojcik and Council Member Randy Staver, who’s serving as interim council president.
If none of the four gets more than 50 percent of the vote in March, there will be another election between the top two.
