At the close of business on Friday, the King County Elections Web site indicates that two Islanders will challenge longtime City Council incumbent, El Jahncke, for position 7 on the Mercer Island City Council. The two candidates are Debbie Bertlin and Richard Erwin, who both filed late Friday afternoon. They are the only ones challenging any of the seven incumbents for elected office on Mercer Island this fall. No other candidates have come forward to challenge any of the other six incumbents running for either the City Council or the Mercer Island School District Board of Directors. The filing period began June 6 and ended Friday, June 10.

A total of seven seats are up for renewal; three on the School Board and four on the Mercer Island City Council.

Including Jahncke, City Council incumbents running to retain their seat are: Mike Cero, Bruce Bassett and Jane Meyer-Brahm. For the Mercer Island School District Board of Directors, the incumbents up for re-election are Janet Frohnmayer, Pat Braman and Brian Emanuels.

Meyer-Brahm and  Emanuels were both appointees this past year to fill out terms for both Steve Litzow and Lisa Strauch Eggers, respectively. Jahncke was first elected to the City Council in 1999.