At the end of the day Tuesday —the end of the official filing season for elective office this year — there were 10 people who had signed up for city offices.

The most people filed for the mayor’s position.

Two people filed for Ward 3, two for Ward 5 and only one for Ward 1.

The candidates will come face to face during the primary election Sept. 9, and then the two winning candidates for each seat will face off at the general election Nov. 4.

The following is a brief description of this year’s candidates:

Ward 1

– Vern Rasmussen Jr.

Putting in his bid for office on the first day of the filing season, Incumbent Ward 1 City Councilor Vern Rasmussen is vying for his second term on the council.

After he filed July 1, Rasmussen said he is seeking re-election because he wants to continue to be a part of the advancements of the city.

“I started doing this because I love the city,” he said. “I really enjoy the community, and I want to continue to help it to be the best it can be.”

He was elected to office in November of 2004.

Rasmussen resides on 1426 Edgewater Drive.

He was the only person to file for the 1st Ward council seat.

Ward 3

– Ryan Michael Sabinish

Sabinish resides on 1102 Janson St.

Look to the Tribune for more information about this candidate.

– Ellen Kehr

Kehr, the vice chairwoman of the Albert Lea Economic Development Agency, announced at the beginning of May her intentions to run for office.

She said she believes in Albert Lea and can bring a unique mix of public and private experience to the table.

“I am not afraid to look for new and better ways to accomplish our goals,” she said.

She believes in Albert Lea — and its people, she added.

Filing for candidates seeking city, county and state offices closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday. And as a result of having more than two candidates for elective offices, there will be a primary election for the post of Albert Lea mayor, two county commissioner districts, and for the District 27A seat in the state House of Representatives on Sept. 9.

There are five candidates for the post of Albert Lea mayor:

Randall Erdman, incumbent

George Gillespie

C.E. Vollum

Dave Reisewitz

Michael Murtaugh

Incumbent Vern Rasmussen Jr. filed for re-election to represent Albert Lea’s 1st Ward. He is the only candidate to file for this City Council position.

Third Ward incumbent George Marin did not file for re-election. The two candidates are:

Ellen Kehr

Ryan Michael Sabinish

Fifth Ward incumbent John Severtson seeks election to the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners. The two candidates for the 5th Ward are:

David Montano Sr.

Larry Anderson

There are two candidates for the 1st District on the Board of Commissioners:

Glen Mathiason, incumbent

Neal Gjersvik

There are four candidates for the 3rd District on the Board of Commissioners:

Jim Nelson, incumbent

David Shoff

John Severtson

Keith A. Porter Sr.

Mark Behrends, the commissioner for the 5th District, will not seek re-election. There are five candidates for the 5th District on the Board of Commissioners:

Chad Severtson

Curtis Smith

Linda Tuttle

Michael Lee

Tony Pestorious

Candidates who filed for election to the Freeborn County Soil and Water Conservation Board are:

David Ausen of Alden for District 1

Christopher J. Dahl of rural Albert Lea for District 2

There will be three candidates for election to the District 27A seat in the Minnesota House of Representatives. They are:

Robin Brown, incumbent, DFL-rural Austin

William Wagner, DFL-rural Ellendale

Erik Larsen, R-Albert Lea

– Ed Shannon

“I think Albert Lea has more hopes for the future,” she said. “I don’t think we’re in trouble — as long as we learn from the past and remember what we’re good at. We’re not in trouble — we’re evolving — and I want to be a part of that.”

Kehr, who is married to Randy Kehr, the executive director of the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce, was recognized as the Albert Lea Business and Professional Woman of the Year in 2001 and as the Chamber Ambassador of the Year in 2003.

She has also been board members of the Albert Lea Children’s Center, the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce, the Albert Lea Lion’s Club, and the Freeborn County Chemical Dependency Center.

She resides on 1712 Plainview Lane.

Ward 5

– Larry Anderson

Anderson, the Fountain Lake Sportsman Club President, announced in June his intent to run office.

A 52-year-old Albert Lea native, he said he has thought about running for council more than once in the past, but recently after multiple people asked him if he’d run, he agreed it was time to make it official.

At that time he said, “I feel it’s important to do this, and I just feel that in my life it’s time to do this. I want to get things done the correct way for the best of everybody.”

As a 17-year employee of the Minnesota Department of Transportation — right now as an information technology specialist responsible for the computer systems at the Mn/DOT Owatonna District 6B Office — Anderson said he thinks his experience with a government entity will be a big plus.

Incumbent District 27A Rep. Robin Brown, Moscow Township, DFLer

Brown filed her bid for re-election on July 1 at the Freeborn County Courthouse, indiciating she was eager to serve another term in the state House of Representatives.

Elected to office in November of 2006, Brown was officially endorsed by the DFL party in May.

She serves on three different education committees; the Agriculture, Rural Economies and Veterans Affairs Committee; and the Property Tax Relief and Local Sales Tax Division.

Brown said during her time in office thus far she has made it a priority to understand her constituents. Now, she’s busy meeting every constituent she can by knocking on doors and interacting with people any chance she can get.

Erik Larsen, Albert Lea, Republican

Larsen filed his bid for election last week at the Secretary of State’s Office in St. Paul with other members of the Republican party from around the state.

He received the official Republican endorsement earlier this summer and announced in April his plans to run for office.

Larsen said one of his major concerns is the economy.

Improving the economy would mean more jobs, he said. And when more jobs are generated that means there are more people who come to the community. The benefits go on from there.

Eight out of the 10 people he talks to say that improving their economy is their No. 1 concern, he said. Other major concerns include school funding and health care.

Though Larson’s never yet officially been involved with politics himself, he has a long interest in the political realm.

William Wagner, Ellendale, DFLer

Look to the Tribune for more information about this candidate.

He also worked 11 years at Wilson Foods.

“I’ve never been afraid to roll up my sleeves and get the jobs done,” he said.

Anderson resides on 824 Jefferson Ave.

– David Montaño

Montaño, 41, announced in May he would like to run for the Ward 5 seat.

He said he had never thought about getting involved in politics until a few weeks prior when some of his friends encouraged him to run.

“I just want to be a voice for the citizens of Albert Lea,” he said. “And in particular for my ward.”

Oftentimes when people get into the government, they forget about the people, but he wants to make sure this doesn’t happen, he said.

The two biggest issues for him to address are going to be first, trying to bring in more businesses to the city to help provide jobs and, second, to really work to be a representative of the people, he said.

Montaño and his family moved to Albert Lea from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, six years ago when he was worked as the general manager of Perkins. He worked in that position for 3 1/2 years, and now he’s immersed in real estate. In May he said he and his wife own 57 rental units.

Montaño resides on 825 S. Newton Ave.

Mayor

Look to Thursday’s Tribune for more details about the mayoral candidates.

– Randy Erdman, of 210 N. Second Ave.

– George Gillespie, of 327 Lloyd Place

– C.E. Vollum, of 206 W. College St.

– Dave Reisewitz, of 713 Minnesota Ave.

– Michael Murtaugh, of 313 Willamor Road