NORTHAMPTON — Two more people have pulled papers for the vacant at-large City Council seat: former School Committee member Blue DuVal and attorney Marlene A. Morin.
Meantime, Mary “Mimi” Odgers said Monday that she has decided not to pursue her candidacy for that seat any further.
DuVual and Morin join Andrew Smith and Ryan O’Donnell as candidates vying for the seat vacated by Jesse Adams.
Candidates are required to gather 100 signatures and submit them to the registrar of voters for validation by Wednesday at 5 p.m.
So far, only O’Donnell has done so. Smith said Monday that he’s collected over 100 signatures, but has not yet handed them in because he’s using the signature-gathering effort to meet more people.
After the signatures are certified, candidates are required to submit paperwork to the city clerk’s office by 5 p.m. on May 23. If at least three candidates accomplish those steps, a preliminary election would be held July 7 to narrow down the field to the top two vote-getters, who would continue on to the final election Aug. 4.
DuVal, of 38 Sandy Hill Road, served on the School Committee for two terms. She was defeated for a re-election bid in November.
She is a photographer and volunteer. DuVal could not be reached for comment Monday.
Morin, 62, works as a general practice attorney out of her office at 53 Gothic St., including work for indigent criminal defendants.
In addition, she said she grows fruit and vegetables and keeps horses at the small farm she lives on at 121 Florence Road. She also owns several commercial properties downtown.
She served as an elected member of the Community Preservation Committee for four years until the end of last year, when she did not seek re-election.
She describes herself as “someone who has the experience to understand the concerns of a lot of people who are just getting by in the city,” she said.
“As someone who’s paying taxes, paying water fees, talking to people who are renters, tenants, as well as the people who can’t even afford a place to live — I think I have a broader perspective,” she added.
Odgers said that as she was gathering her signatures she came to the realization that she would rather not be rushed when embarking on the journey of seeking public office.
“If I’m going to do this I’m going to want to do right by the voters,” she said. “I want to actually take time to build something, meeting more people.”
However, she said the brief experience made her feel “energized” to jump back into some type of public service.
Chris Lindahl can be reached at clindahl@gazettenet.com