Mayor may get sixth challenger

PALMDALE — Small business owner Eric Ohlsen pulled nomination papers on Wednesday to run for Mayor of Palmdale in the Nov. 3 election.

Ohlsen ran in the March 3 primary for the 36th District Assembly seat. He finished last out of eight candidates. Ohlsen is the sixth potential challenger to Mayor Steve Hofbauer.

The other challengers are Councilwoman Laura Bettencourt, Jalisa Burton, Xavier Flores, project director for Pueblo Y Salud; former Palmdale City Councilman Rick Norris; and Tonya Alenna Schofield, according to information provided by the City Clerk’s office.

As of press time Thursday,

only Hofbauer and Bettencourt have qualified for the ballot.

Councilman Austin Bishop, who represents Council District No. 1, qualified for the ballot. District No. 1 challengers Chance McCrary, Coffee 4 Vets President Juan Blanco and Eynelis Vinson also qualified for the ballot. Candidate Brittany Wyre returned her paperwork on Monday.

Mayor Pro Tem Richard Loa filed qualified for the ballot to retain his seat representing Council District No. 2. Challenger Ollie McCaulley, a Marine Corps veteran and business owner, also qualified for the ballot. Challenger Glenda Clark has not yet returned her nomination paperwork.

No further updates were available Thursday.

Lancaster resident Antoine Hawkins pulled nomination papers Thursday for the Antelope Valley Union High School District Trustee Area No. 2 seat held by Board Clerk Jill McGrady, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

Hawkins last ran for elected office in 2015 when he unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Lancaster School District Board of Education.

McGrady filed her nomination paperwork on Wednesday.

Veteran Affairs Manager Sandy Carpenter filed nomination papers to challenge McGrady. Miguel Coronado, executive director of Agents of Change, pulled nomination papers Monday to challenge McGrady.

Five people pulled nomination papers for the vacant Trustee Area No. 3 seat. They are former trustee Donita Winn, Lancaster Museum of Art and History Director Andi Campognone, adjunct professor Christian Green, retired judge Dana LaMon and businessman Robert Teller. As of Thursday, Green, LaMon and Teller filed their candidate paperwork.