Four ‘first-timers’ making run for seat
Four Cape Coral residents are vying to become the District 1 council member as the Aug. 23 primary election nears.
Carol Rae Culliton, Jean Pierre Etcheverry Jr., Bill Steinke, Allison “Ally” Wharton are running to become elected officials for the first time. Gloria Tate, the current District 1 council member, is not running for reelection.
District 1 is the only district on the 2022 ballot where an incumbent is not seeking reelection.
Both districts 1 and 4 will narrow their candidates on the primary ballot on Aug. 23 before the top two vote-getters move to the general election Nov. 8. The District 6 and mayor’s races will be decided in the general election because only two candidates are running in each. Cape Coral city elections are nonpartisan.
District 4 election:: Incumbent Jennifer Nelson facing two challengers
District 6 election: Incumbent Keith Long facing newcomer Wayne Hecht
Mayor’s race: John Gunter, Thomas Shadrach vying for job
▶ Follow our 2022 primary election coverage
Many of the key issues in the campaigns have focused on how to prepare Cape Coral for its burgeoning growth rate.
Both mayor and council members serve four-year terms and can serve for no more than two consecutive four-year terms.
Carol Rae Culliton
Culliton has been contributing to the city of Cape Coral for 12 years through her philanthropic efforts.
Founder of the Gunterberg Charitable Foundation and The Brotherhood of Heroes Resource Center & Museum in the city, she’s set her sight on local government issues and sees it as a logical next step.
“This is my chosen home, and I want it to be the best it can be, but I feel at this point with all that I’ve done, I can do even more by getting the city council and the mayor behind