Wrexham council election: 138 candidates fighting election with eight others already elected with no competition

138 candidates will be running in a competitive ballot for the upcoming local council election – with eight councillors already effectively returned due to no competition.

Wrexham will head to the polls on Thursday 5 May to decide the make-up of the council for the next five years, so make sure you are registered to vote to take part ( https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote ).

It is the first time the majority voters across in county borough will have had the chance to elect a new councillor since 2017.

The deadline for nominations closed at 4pm on Tuesday (5 April) and late yesterday afternoon Wrexham Council published a full list of candidates standing for your vote, with a couple of amendments in the evening.

There are 146 candidates officially nominated, a decrease on the 155 candidates who stood five years ago.

This includes:

• •  48 Independent candidates (less than the 61 in 2o17)
  • 30 Welsh Labour candidates (less than the 39 in 2017)
  • 28 Welsh Conservatives candidates (an increase on the 20 in 2017)
  • 24 Plaid Cymru candidates (an increase on the 15 in 2017)
  • 8 Welsh Liberal Democrats candidates (less than the 13 in 2017)
  • 4 Green Party candidates (an increase on the two in 2017)
  • 3 candidates have non-stated
  • 1 Reform UK candidate

Eight councillors are already guaranteed to continue representing their communities, despite the election not yet taking place due to them being unopposed.

This is more than the three wards in 2017, which saw Bill Baldwin (Little Acton), John Pritchard (Marchwiel) and Cllr David Kelly (Minera) all not facing any challenge.

Both Cllr John Pritchard and Cllr Baldwin are facing opposition this time, however David Kelly is not seeking reelection.

Current Council Leader, Mark Pritchard, (Independent, Esclusham) is once again not facing any opposition, having been the only candidate for his ward back in 2012.

Cllr Andy Williams, (Independent, Garden Village), Cllr I David Bithell (Independent, Stansty), Cllr Debbie Wallice (Welsh Conservative, Borras) and Cllr Terry Evans (Independent, Chirk South) are not facing challenge either.

The current mayor of Wrexham, Cllr Ronnie Prince, (Independent, Cartrefle) is also unopposed.

Trevor Bates is unopposed in Dyffryn Ceiriog, and after a late change to the nomination statements published Michael Morris in Holt is also unopposed.

As a result ballots will not be issued to residents in those eight wards and an election will not take place.

Several councillors are also not seeking reelection, including Alan Edwards (New Broughton), David Kelly (Minera), Geoff Lowe (Acton), Adrienne Jeorett (Smithfield),  Russell Gilmartin (Marford and Hoseley), Rodney Skelland (Bronington), Joan Lowe (Penycae and Ruabon South), Gwenfair Jones (Gwersyllt West) and Phil Rees (Gwersyllt North).

There are also some familiar names seeking election, having previously either stood down over the last five years or lost their seat at the last election.

They include Bernie McCann, Colin Powell, David Taylor, Barrie Warburton and Beryl Blackmore.

This year will see several changes to the existing boundaries, ward names and the increase of councillor numbers from 52 to 56 – meaning there are a guaranteed 13 new councillors set to be elected on May 5.

As with 2012 and in 2017 we have sent a letter to all candidates (where they had an address public, and will reach out to the rest where possible) inviting them to take part in a question and answer session on our dedicated section https://www.wrexham.com/election2022/

Last time 96 candidates took up the opportunity with our election page read over 100,000 times in the run up to the election.

Just posted this lot in a town postbox – Q&A invites to all candidates that provided an address, and will try and get in touch with those who didnt! Also sent to uncontested wards, hopefully they will want to put views & ideas on record 👍 pic.twitter.com/uQ8ARXkstD

— Wrexham.com (@wrexham) April 6, 2022

There is still time to register to vote and for the first time 16 and 17 years old will also be able to cast their vote in the election. Registering is quick and easy and can be done here.

You can view the full list of candidates standing for election in your ward,  https://www.wrexham.com/election2022/ 

(Top: Box of letters about to wing its way across Wrexham)