Two veteran Traverse City commissioners and a political newcomer will vie to be the next mayor of Traverse City.

Commissioners Jim Carruthers and Jeanine Easterday both obtained the requisite signatures required to run by Tuesday’s deadline, as did 32-year-old city resident Ian Winkelman. Dave Barr, president of the National Cherry Festival Board of Governors, expressed interest in running but did not submit an application. Traverse City Mayor Michael Estes is not seeking re-election.

Carruthers, 52, has served on the city commission for eight years and was previously a parks and recreation commissioner for eight years. Carruthers tells The Ticker he hopes to “keep Traverse City growing in a good direction and help move the city forward.” If elected, he would be Traverse City’s first openly gay mayor.

“I have shown my leadership skills through the years,” says Carruthers. “I have the social skills for the job, and I am able to mingle with a diverse group of people and be non-partisan. I think I’ve got what it takes.”

Commissioner Ross Richardson, who is managing Carruthers’ mayoral campaign and oversaw his previous two commission campaigns, calls the candidate “a real ideas person.”

“He does his homework, and he talks to more people than anyone I know,” says Richardson. “He’s happy to sit down with people who vehemently disagree with him.”

Easterday, 62, has served on both the city and planning commissions since 2012. In a June interview, she told The Ticker the simultaneous turnover of several key leadership positions – including the city manager, chief of police, county administrator and three city commissioners – prompted her to run for mayor.

“I feel very responsible to this city…I truly feel we are on the cusp of entering a new paradigm,” Easterday said. “I can bring a culture of respect, patience, listening and an ability to communicate with all people at all levels to the job.” Easterday also said she felt it was important to ensure the board had continued “diversity,” and to encourage other women to run for office. If elected, Easterday would be only Traverse City’s second elected female mayor.

Winkelman, a political newcomer, submitted two mayoral applications before garnering enough valid signatures for a successful third attempt. Winkelman tells The Ticker he recently relocated back to the area from Portland with his partner, Brandy Courtade, with whom he shares a home and who is herself running for city commission.

“I heard on the KLT radio station where (host) Omelette was talking about how it’d be nice if we had someone interesting run for mayor,” says Winkelman, who runs a “creative intellectual movement” with Courtade called Wazrom. “I went down and got an application that day.”

Winkelman made headlines as a teenager in 1999 when he and another Cadillac Area Public Schools student, Joseph Haines, were charged with possession of and conspiracy to plant an explosive device at Cadillac Middle School. The incident took place the week after the Columbine High School massacre and shut down the school district for the day. The charges against Winkelman were later dropped.

“That was a bogus issue…my friend made a comment online and I just got dragged into something that was blown up for four months,” Winkelman says.

Of the three mayoral candidates, Estes – who decided in June this term would be his last – says “it’d be difficult” for him to make an endorsement at this stage. “I was in a similar situation some years ago, and there was one candidate I strongly endorsed and was the reason I stepped down, which was Chris Bzdok,” Estes says. “I don’t see the same type of situation here. There isn’t any one candidate who strongly supports the positions I have.”

City Commission

On the city commission front, five candidates submitted applications for three seats up for grabs this fall. They include two newcomers: Courtade and Amy Shamroe, who directs the Traverse City Children’s Book Festival and serves in chair positions for Friends of the Library and the American Association of University Women (AAUW). “I see this as a continuation of the other public service groups I’ve been involved in…we’re reaching a point of a lot of growth in the city, and I want to help shape what TC will become,” Shamroe says.

Former Traverse City manager Richard Lewis, who recently moved back after a two-year stint as city manager in St. Joseph, is also running. “I have the time and the energy…and thought I’d offer my skillset on the elected side,” Lewis says. Meanwhile, City Parks & Recreation Chair Brian Haas told The Ticker he hopes to bring an “analytical approach to policy and budget discussion in the city” if elected.

Tom Mair, who’s mounted multiple bids for the Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners as a Green Party candidate, also submitted a nomination packet. City Clerk Benjamin Marentette says he’s verified all candidates have the required number of voter signatures except Mair, whose packet he will review today (Wednesday). Candidates have until 4pm Friday to withdraw from the race, after which point Marentette will officially certify the candidate list for the fall 2015 ballot.

Pictured above: City Commissioners Jeanine Easterday & Jim Carruthers