It’s an election year for Lowell City Council with three members of the five-person body up for reelection. The filing deadline for the election was last week, and all three incumbents are running to retain their seats. They will be joined on the ballot by one challenger.
Here’s who is running for Lowell City Council in 2025:
- Marty Chambers: Currently the Mayor Pro Tem, Chambers was originally appointed to fill a vacancy on Lowell City Council in 2017. He subsequently was elected to a two-year term in 2019 and a four-year term in 2021. He co-owns Red Barn Mercantile in downtown Lowell and also works as a truck driver.
- Jim Salzwedel: Now retired, Salzwedel worked for nearly 50 years as a sales professional with a security firm. He was first elected to Lowell City Council in 2017 for a four-year term. He then won reelection for two-year terms in 2021 and 2023. Salzwedel is also president of the non-profit board that oversees Lowell Showboat VI.
- Mark Ritzema: The newest member of Lowell City Council, Ritzema was appointed at the end of 2024 to fill a vacancy. He previously ran for council in 2017 but withdrew his candidacy prior to the election for health reasons. Currently retired, Ritzema spent much of his career in law enforcement.
- Beryl Bartkus: As the lone challenger on this year’s ballot, Bartkus also put in an application to fill last year’s vacancy on Lowell City Council. She owns Ability Weavers in downtown Lowell and also sits on the boards for Flat River Outreach Ministries, the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Development Authority.
Lowell’s First Look will have candidate profiles and more coverage of this race as we draw closer to the November election.
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