A current Hollister City Council member and several challengers
to three open seats have pulled nomination papers to begin the
process to run in the November election.
A current Hollister City Council member and several challengers to three open seats have pulled nomination papers to begin the process to run in the November election.
District 4 Councilman Tony LoBue followed up on his declaration to run for a second term by pulling papers Tuesday. So far, nobody else has announced intentions to run against LoBue.
Of the two other council members whose seats are open, Brian Conroy has said he’s not running again, and Mayor Tony Bruscia has yet to make an announcement either way.
Among the four potential challengers in their two districts who made themselves eligible for candidacy, only one came without a prior announcement.
Martin Deffee, a deputy marshal working under current councilman and county marshal Robert Scattini, pulled papers to run in District 5 – potentially against Bruscia.
Even though Deffee has ties to Scattini, it may not work to his advantage. Deffee nearly ran against his boss in March for the elected marshal post Scattini’s held for 17 years. Deffee later decided to drop out of the race, which Scattini handily won over two other candidates.
Deffee said he decided to run for the council to take a more active role in the community. He’s lived here since 1990.
Scattini declined to comment on Deffee’s previous attempt to take his marshal job.
“If he wants to run (for the council), that’s his business,” Scattini said.
It could be a three-horse race in that district, though, as a challenger who announced her intention to run nearly a year ago, Monica Johnson, pulled papers Wednesday as well.
In Conroy’s District 1, the two people trying to succeed him as a council member came as no surprise. Fireman Brad Pike and airport commissioner Helen Ross both pulled nomination documents this week.
