A total of 18 candidates filed for the March 4 city election on Tuesday, including eight for mayor for five for city council District 6.

Three more are running in District 1. Only in District 4, where incumbent Howard Balmer will take on Steve Shaw, will the race be guaranteed on Election Day. Under provisions passed by voters two years ago, a successful candidate must get 50.1 percent of the vote to be elected.

Only three of the eight candidates for mayor have run for public office before.

Tom Swisstack is a three-term representative the New Mexico Legislature after serving four years as mayor and two terms as Sandoval County commissioner.

Jim Owen served as mayor from 1992-96, then was defeated in his bids for reelection and to beat Swisstack for his seat in the House of Representatives.

Bill White, who was waiting at the door when city clerk Roman Montoya opened his office at 8 a.m., finished second in a three-person race to Patty Thomas in the 2006 city council race for District 2.

The other five candidates for mayor, in alphabetical order, are:

• Retired U.S. Navy veteran Tim Crum.

• Payday Loans manager Michael Ellis.

• Call center manger Steven Meyer.

• Small businessman John McKinney

• Systems analyst Kimberly Rytter.

The District 6 council race includes the same three candidates as in 2004. In that election, Marilyn Salzman edged Todd Hathorne by one vote, with then-councilor Lonnie Clayton finishing third. In 2008, they are joined by newcomers Kathy Colley, who is a retired banker, and Sandia Labs consultant Charles Smiroldo.

In District 1, current mayor and former two-time council election winner Mike Williams will be challenged by Rosemary Owen, wife of the ex-mayor who currently manages Radio Shack stores in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and realtor Peter Rivas.

This story will be updated with quotes and photographs later tonight.