1 Challenger Files, 2 More Possible in City Race

One challenger has entered the running for Diamond Bar City Council and two more are still awaiting final paperwork to meet the Friday deadline.

All candidates must file by today (Friday, Aug. 12) at 4:30 p.m.

So far, challenger S. Dhand has qualified for the Nov. 8, 2011 city election alongside incumbents Jack Tanaka and Carol Herrera, whose seats on the council will both be up for grabs in the next election.

Since Wednesday, another challenger — Kim Hsieh — has pulled papers but not filed to run. Another challenger, Allen Wilson, has also pulled papers in the race but not yet filed.

In March, Diamond Bar Patch as the only hearing-impaired delegate to the state's Republican party.

Both Wilson and Hsieh would be making their first bid at a city council seat. Dhand made a run in 2009, where he came in with the smallest share of the vote, with seven percent in his favor.

The incumbent Herrera is currently has the longest tenure on the council in the city's 22-year history, serving four terms since 1995. Incumbent Tanaka is currently serving his second term on the council.

Both Herrera and Tanaka were last re-elected in 2007, when they carried about 68 percent of the city's votes between them. Tanaka received 4,791 votes to Herrera's 2,738, with the nearest challenger — Fran Perez — receiving 1,886.

The candidate filing period remains open until Aug. 12 at 4:30 p.m. for Diamond Bar City Council.

Candidates interested in running should call City Clerk Tommye Cribbins to schedule a half-hour time to go over the required paperwork.

Cribbins said there is no charge for filing to run, but a $700 fee will be assessed for printing candidate statements prior to the Nov. 8 election.