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Mayor uncontested
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Chris Vierra is not being challenged to his bid at a four-year term as mayor of Ceres but there is plenty of candidates in the City Council race.

In most instances, the candidate filing period ended on Friday. In cases where the incumbent did not file, the deadline has been extended until today. Those offices include the at-large seat on the CUSD board, and seats on the Keyes Union School District board, Keyes Community Services District, and the Hughson and Westport fire districts,

Vierra has no opposition for the office of mayor but there is competition for incumbents facing re-election. Council members Bret Durossette and Guillermo Ochoa are seeking re-election for four-year seats. They are being challenged by Mike Kline and Daniel Padilla.

A two-year council seat which has been held vacant this year, has attracted interest from four candidates - Eric Ingwerson, Hugo Molina and Linda Ryno. Anthony Estrada failed to qualify as a candidate.

Harry Herbert is the lone person seeking the office of city treasurer.

Vierra said was happy to learn he has no competition but still plans to put up signs and go door-to-door. Vierra said he has campaign pledges of $5,000 and enjoys interacting with residents.

"A lot of people don't know who's in politics," said Vierra. "I don't want to miss an opportnity to go out there... I want the public to know who I am."

Linda Ryno, a former city planning department clerk and wife of retired Sgt. Sam Ryno, has thrown her hat into the race for Ceres City Council.

"It's something I've always been interested in," said Ryno. "I just never could run because I worked for the city."

Ingwerson, currently a member of the Ceres School Board, served as mayor of Ceres from 1998 to 1999 and then again from 2001 to 2003.

Others who have pulled papers but not returned them are Jennifer Hagen, and former city councilman Blair Bradley.

Chris Vierra remains the lone filed candidate for mayor although Mike Kline has pulled papers but not returned them. Kline cannot run for both council and mayor.

The city treasurer race has attracted the interest of Harry Herbert, who pulled papers.

CUSD voters will be deciding who fills three seats currently filled by Faye Lane and Jim Kinard, who both represent specific trustee areas, and Eric Ingwerson who represents the district at-large.

Ingwerson is not seeking re-election but former trustee Teresa Guerrero is running for the at-large seat as is Brian Kline.

Guerrero was defeated for re-election in November 2009.

Kline is a legal process server.

Kinard and Lane are both uncontested for re-election.

This will be the last time voters will be filling an at-large seat. New trustee areas will be created for the 2013 election.

The Ceres School Board decided in 2009 to phase out the at-large trustee seats after a Latino advocacy group threatened lawsuits if districts like Ceres did not voluntarily end at-large elections. The group contended that at-large districts were unfair to minorities seeking office. CUSD avoided litigation by reaching a compromise with the group which also asserted that at-large method of election was racially polarizing and violated the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA).

By the November 2013 election, CUSD will establish seven separate member trustee areas.

The Hughson Unified School District has two openings on Nov. 8 and two candidates. Business owner Mark Harman and incumbent James Hudelson are on the ballot.

Three seats are open in the Hughson Fire Protection District board election. Only two candidates have materialized in David S. Absher and Miguel Oseguera.

Two openings on the Keyes Union School District have attracted only candidate in incumbent Bob Edwards and accountant Tammy L. Suarez.

The Keyes Community Services District has two four-year seats open with four candidates in William Alexander, Casey Chadwick, Mike Bernal and Roberto Jimenez. A two-year seat is being sought after by Johnathan Parker, an appointed incumbent.

In the Keyes Municipal Advisory Council race, incumbents Davie Landers Jr., William Alexander and Jeff Reed are unchallenged.

The Ceres Fire Protection District, a small rural district outside of the Ceres city limits, also has a board election with two seats available. There are just enough candidates to fill those two seats: Jerry Hancock and Harlan E. Smith.

The Westport Fire Protection District board has three seats open and three candidates. John A. Varni, David Sundy Jr. and Joe S. Nunes are all seeking election.

In the Modesto Irrigation District Division 1 race, Waterford rancher Larry A. Byrd and Hughson businessman John Duarte are pitted against each other.

Turlock Irrigation District's Division 1 race has pulled two candidates in Hickman farmer Michael Frantz, the incumbent, and farmer Christopher Barth. Turlock veterinarian Rob Santos of Turlock is unopposed in the TID Division 4 race.