City Election Nomination Period Opens Monday

Voters will be electing a new mayor and two council members in November, and the nomination filing period for the seats begins today.

For the first time since 1978, Mayor David Smith is not seeking re-election. This year marks the last of his 16th consecutive terms as mayor. Smith announced his resignation May 17.

Terms for council members Luis Freitas and Alberto Huezo expire this November. While Huezo has announced that he does not intend to seek another term, Freitas said he was likely going to run again but was discussing the possibility with his family.

Huezo was first appointed onto the council in April 2007 and was elected to the seat that same November.

Freitas was first elected to the council in 1995. If he pursues another term, it would be his fifth.

So far, for the city’s mayoral seat: council members Ana Apodaca and Alan Nagy and Ray Rodriguez, vice president of the Newark Unified School Board of Education.

Apodaca, 38, has served on the council since December, 2005. Nagy, 69, was first elected to the council in 1980. Both of their council seats expire in 2013.

Rodriguez, 65, has been on the Newark Unified Board of Education for about 15 years.

All three filed a candidate intention statement prior to Friday, said Sheila Harrington, city clerk for the City of Newark. The statements allowed the individuals to begin seeking donations for their campaign before the nomination period opened.

On the council side, Sucy Collazo, a local business owner, had .

Collazo, a longtime Newark resident, shares ownership of the in Old Newark.

Individuals who are interested in running must pick up nomination papers and election forms at the City Clerk’s office at . Each candidate is required to gather 20 to 30 signatures of registered voters as part of their nomination application.

The deadline to file for candidacy for mayor or on the city council is 5 p.m. August 17.

Editor's note: This report has been updated to reflect the correct deadline to file candidacy as a result of Councilmember Alberto Huezo's official announcement that he is not running for another term.