Seven candidates vie for two seats on Carlsbad council

CARLSBAD — The options are plentiful but only two will find a seat in the race for the City Council.

The city began accepting nomination papers last week and currently seven have pulled the paperwork for the Nov. 8 election.

Running are incumbents Keith Blackburn and Mayor Pro Tem Lorraine Wood with challengers Melanie Burkholder, Carl Brian Flock, Bill Fowler, Cori Schumacher and Ann Tanner.

Blackburn was elected to the council in 2008, while Wood won her seat in 2012.

The election is at large, meaning residents can vote for any two candidates. Candidates, meanwhile, must be Carlsbad residents and have until Aug. 12 to file.

Schumacher has raised $24,737.22 from Jan. 1 through June 30, according to her Form 460, which was filed on July 15. The form is a semi-annual accounting required for all candidates and must be filed by Aug. 1.

Blackburn, though, has the largest balance as his total sits at $121,968.46 after raising $7,990 from July 1, 2015, through Dec. 31, 2015. Much of his cash is from his re-election campaign in 2012.

Wood, meanwhile, has $12,394.57, according to her last filing. She and Blackburn ran unopposed four years ago.

The other candidates, meanwhile, have not filed their financial forms as of press time.

The political dynamic in the city has changed due to the controversial Measure A, which was defeated in a February special election.

Schumacher and Fowler were vocal opponents of the measure, especially Schumacher as her role in the campaign was a springboard for her council candidacy.

Fowler was also opposed to the measure, walking door-to-door and helping with the grassroots movement.

Tanner is a former Carlsbad Unified School District Trustee with a professional background as a clinical social worker.

Burkholder is a former U.S. Secret Service agent and small business owner, while Flock is a Realtor.

Early voting begins Oct. 10 and the voter registration deadline is Oct. 24, according to the city’s website.

There are 65,482 registered voters as of the city’s last count.