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WILLMAR — A primary will be required in the race for Willmar mayor after a third candidate filed Tuesday, the last day of filing for Willmar city offices.
Former Willmar City Council member Doug Reese has filed to run for mayor, joining candidates Zeke Dahl and Stephen James “Steve” Peppin.
Reese previously served 27 years on the Willmar City Council and four years as the Kandiyohi County Commissioner for District 2.
He has served as coordinator for the Willmar Area Faith At Work program since 2011. He earlier had served as national representative for 36 years with the Christian Labor Association.
Peppin, a Willmar business owner, is making his third run for public office. He previously ran for mayor in 2018, a race that was won by current Mayor Marv Calvin, and for Willmar City Council Ward 2 in 2016, losing that bid to Julie Asmus.
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Dahl ran for mayor in 2018, losing out to both Calvin and Peppin in the primary.
Calvin is not seeking re-election as mayor after serving two terms.
The primary is Aug. 9. The top two vote-getters advance to the general election Nov. 8.
The four Willmar City Council seats up for election this year are all uncontested. Two council members represent each of the four wards in the city, and one of the two seats is up for election every two years.
Councilor Andrew Plowman is not seeking re-election in Ward 1.
Carl Shuldes, a retired social studies teacher at Willmar Senior High School for nearly 32 years, filed for the Ward 1 seat. He also has served as a boys and girls swimming coach at Willmar, and is a 1985 graduate of Bemidji State University.
The other three Willmar City Council incumbents up for election this year filed for re-election.
Ward 2 incumbent Vicki Davis filed for re-election earlier this month. Davis has served on the council for nearly four years, and was the previous owner of the Goodness Coffee Shop in downtown Willmar.
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Willmar City Councilor Rick Fagerlie is seeking his fourth term serving Ward 3 after he filed Tuesday. He operates an appraisal and inspection service.
Councilor Audrey M. Nelsen also filed for re-election Tuesday. She worked in banking for more than 25 years and is currently employed by Peterson Brothers Funeral Home as a certified preplanning consultant/insurance agent.
Nelsen has represented Ward 4 since winning a special election in 2013. If re-elected, this would be Nelsen's third full term in office.
Filing for office in cities where a primary is possible, including Willmar, closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Candidates have two additional days to withdraw their candidacy.
