For the first time in the past two mayoral elections, Mayor Paul Miller has a challenger.

As of press time for the Simi Valley Acorn, three nonincumbents had filed their nomination papers to enter the race for City Council, one with his eye on the mayor's seat.

The filing period for candidates closes today at 5 p.m.

Simi resident Bruce Witkin, 46, filed his candidate paperwork Wednesday to run for mayor and was verified Thursday as an eligible candidate by the Ventura County Elections Division.

Fellow residents Michael Thomas Judge and Daniel Jenkins have also filed papers to run for City Council. Judge has been approved by the VCED, but Jenkins was still waiting to be confirmed at press time.

Three council positions are expiring this year—Miller's twoyear term and the four-year terms of council members Steve Sojka and Barbra Williamson.

All three incumbents have filed their papers to run in November's general municipal election. The mayor is seeking a third term; Sojka is seeking his fourth, and Williamson—the longest-standing member of the council—is seeking her fifth.

Ten potential challengers had withdrawn nomination papers; three of them pulled papers to run for mayor. But as of Aug. 7, only Witkin, Judge and Jenkins had followed through on their intents to run.

Witkin is a small business man, operating the retail store Infusion in Simi, and has plans to open a Mongolian barbecue restaurant on the west end of the city in the fall.

Though he is originally from Denver, Colo., Witkin grew up in Woodland Hills and has lived in Simi for nearly 11 years with his wife, Bonnie, and their two children, Justin and Emma.

Judge, 45, has lived in Simi all his life and is a graduate of Simi Valley High School.

He currently serves as a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, where he has worked for the past 18 years.

He and his wife, Sarit, have three children: Michele, Alexandra and Nicolas.

A Los Angeles native, 63yearold Jenkins has lived in Simi for 17 years.

Though he has worked as a self-employed licensed general contractor for the past 22 years, he is currently taking business courses at Moorpark College.

Jenkins has two daughters, Mariel and Danielle.

A person is eligible to run for the office of mayor or City Council member if they live within the boundaries of the city of Simi Valley and are a registered voter of the city at the time nomination papers are issued.