The 2009 election season is officially under way, after hundreds of people filed to run for local offices before Friday’s deadline.

In Pierce County’s largest cities, several city council races have attracted enough candidates to require a primary election, including three races in Puyallup, two in Tacoma and one in Lakewood.

Sitting elected mayors face challengers in Auburn, Milton, Orting and Sumner; those in Bonney Lake, Buckley, Gig Harbor, Ruston, South Prairie and Steilacoom are unopposed.

Meanwhile, the race for a seat on the Tacoma School Board has attracted the most candidates of any Pierce County office: a total of six.

In King County, the same number of people are vying for the Federal Way Municipal Court judge position held by Michael Morgan, who was reprimanded by the state Commission on Judicial Conduct in December.

In races with more than three candidates, the two who garner the most votes in the Aug. 18 primary will advance to November’s general election. Here’s a look at some local races that are developing.

CITY OF TACOMA

It’s safe to say the Tacoma City Council will look significantly different next year, with four council seats and the mayor’s office up for grabs. The only incumbent running is Jake Fey, who is unopposed. Others are prohibited from running because of term limits.

Local architect Jim Merritt and City Councilwoman Marilyn Strickland will vie to succeed Mayor Bill Baarsma in the Nov. 3 election.

In another two-way race in the general election, Metro Parks Commissioner Victoria Woodards will face Keven Rojecki, a City of SeaTac firefighter, for the Position 6 at-large seat.

Two district races have attracted three candidates, setting up primary contests in August.

For the District 4 seat representing the East Side and South End, previously unannounced candidate Susanne Emily Marten will face downtown businessman Marty Campbell and former city employee Roxanne Murphy. The race for District 5 in Tacoma’s southernmost neighborhoods will include Democratic Party activist Beckie Summers-Kirby, News Tribune advertising salesman Joe Lonergan and John Miles, vice chairman of South Tacoma Neighborhood Council.

TACOMA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The race for Connie Rickman’s seat on the Tacoma School Board is shaping up to be the most competitive race in Pierce County.

Five people are challenging Rickman: Eastside neighborhood organizer Catherine Ushka-Hall; former Port of Tacoma Commissioner Jerry Thorpe; Chris Van Vechten, a former state legislative aide; Deb Blakeslee, a former administrative assistant who has worked in real estate financial analysis; and Amy Bates, who couldn’t be reached for comment.

Rickman, a former Tacoma schools administrator, was president of the board in 2007, the year Superintendent Charlie Milligan negotiated a $418,000 severance package when he left the district after one year on the job.

Rickman said she thinks The News Tribune’s coverage of Milligan’s departure and the School Board’s efforts to replace him cast her in a negative light, which could be why so many people chose to run against her this year.

School Board member Kurt Miller also is up for re-election. He faces a November challenge from Stan Smith, who also ran for School Board in 2005 and 2007.

PORT OF TACOMA

It looked as if Don Meyer, a former port manager and the director of the Foss Waterway Development Authority, was going to walk into office. But a late filing by former Pierce County Auditor Cathy Pearsall-Stipek means that all three Port of Tacoma positions will be contested.

Pearsall-Stipek, who also has been a Tacoma School Board member, a state legislator and a Pierce County councilwoman, filed for Position 3. Either she or Meyer will replace Ted Bottiger, who is not running for re-election.

In port Position 1, incumbent Connie Bacon might have to wage both primary and general election campaigns. Bernardo Tuma and Bill Casper, both former port candidates, filed against her.

And in port Position 2, Charles Kelly Creso filed against incumbent Dick Marzano.

PIERCE COUNTY

Pierce County voters will get to use Ranked Choice Voting at least one more time. Late Friday, perennial candidate Will Baker filed for the county auditor race, a special election needed to replace Pat McCarthy, who was elected county executive.

Appointed incumbent Jan Shabro and Tacoma City Councilwoman Julie Anderson also have filed. The nonpartisan race moves directly to the November election.

LAKEWOOD

In Lakewood, three City Council incumbents have chosen not to seek re-election, drawing seven candidates to vie for the open seats. Helen McGovern, Pad Finnigan and Ron Cronk are retiring after this year.

In line for Cronk’s seat are Mary Moss, a Harborstone Credit Union employee, and Darrel Shiley, a U.S. Air Force veteran who works as a nurse at St. Joseph Medical Center.

Ready to step in for McGovern are Sam Ross, vice chairman of Lakewood’s Public Safety Advisory Committee, and Jason Whalen, an attorney who ran for Finnigan’s seat in 2005.

Finnigan’s open seat this year drew three candidates: Mike Brandstetter, who challenged Finnigan in 2005 and lost; Connie Coleman-Lacadie, vice president of the Clover Park School Board; and Levi Wilhelmsen, the owner of a computer repair business.

The three candidates will be whittled to two in the August primary.

No one is challenging council member Doug Richardson.

PUYALLUP

Three contested races in Puyallup could bring new blood to the City Council. Each position up for re-election has attracted three candidates, which means each is headed for the primary ballot.

Councilman Mike Deal isn’t returning next year. In line for his District 3 seat are John Alexander, an ex-Army Ranger who frequently attends council meetings; Nicolla Tebao, an online instructor with the University of Phoenix; and Kent Boyle, who hosts a morning radio show in Olympia.

Incumbent Rick Hansen, who was appointed to fill a District 2 vacancy in early 2008, has two challengers in his bid to retain his seat: Louise Workman, a self-employed private investigator, and Christopher Taylor, a retired Tacoma police detective.

Councilman George Dill also has two opponents: Tony Aho, assistant director of admission and advising at Pacific Lutheran University’s School of Education, and Chris Weltzer, an employee of Hometown Insurance in Graham.

Melissa Santos: 253-552-7058

melissa.santos@thenewstribune.com

Staff writers Peter Callaghan and John Henrikson contributed to this report.