STRAIT AREA – A wide variety of political veterans and municipal election newcomers will be on the ballot when local voters mark their X’s – physically and electronically – next month.

In Richmond County, which will hold its municipal elections on traditional paper ballots in October, all five municipal districts will have contested races – the first such election in a dozen years.

In Isle Madame, District 1 will see incumbent James Goyetche take on former municipal councillor Rod Samson, along with political newcomers Brandon Boudreau and Shawn Samson. Meanwhile, the District 2 race pits former municipal councillor Gerry Bourque against first-time candidates Michael Diggdon and Carolyn Clackdoyle. The constituency’s current councillor, Alvin Martell, is not re-offering.

Richmond Warden Brian Marchand will face off against newcomer Melanie Breau Sampson in District 3, while two other incumbents are also seeking re-election in the county’s east end. District 4 veteran Gilbert Boucher will face newcomer Amanda Mombourquette, while District 5’s Jason MacLean – who briefly served as warden during the past council term – will face off against a fellow native of L’Ardoise, Brent Sampson.

In Port Hawkesbury, Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton will attempt to secure her second consecutive term, following an acclamation to the position in 2016. This time around, Chisholm-Beaton has a challenger in the form of Archie MacLachlan, a political newcomer who currently serves as president of Unifor Local 972, which oversees the grand majority of unionized employees at the Port Hawkesbury Paper mill in Point Tupper.

Town councillors Hughie MacDougall, Blaine MacQuarrie and Mark MacIver will also attempt to hang onto their seats, while four other candidates attempt to break into the four-seat Port Hawkesbury council for the first time. They include third-time candidate Michele Tabensky, second-time candidate John Ouellette, and newcomers Jason Aucoin and Paula Hart.

This year, Port Hawkesbury voters will have a ten-day window to exercise their franchise via electronic voting options such as internet and phone voting, while traditional paper ballots will be available on the previously-scheduled election day of October 17.

In Mulgrave, Mayor Ralph Hadley has announced that he will not re-offer after serving only one term in the post, leaving it vacant for one of two men who will battle for the town’s top political job over the coming week. This will mark Lorne MacDonald’s third consecutive crack at the Mulgrave mayor’s chair, as he was acclaimed to the position in 2012 but lost to Hadley in 2016. MacDonald will face off against Ron Chisholm, who has served on town council for the past eight years but has resigned his seat in order to run for mayor.

Whoever wins the Mulgrave mayor’s job will have a full town council waiting for them, as all four candidates for this year’s municipal elections have been acclaimed to their council seats. They include second-term councillors Bob Russell and Tanya Snow, as well as first-time candidates Krista Luddington and Crystal Durling.

Mulgrave will hold its elections on October 17, with only paper ballots available to town residents.