Even though only one of the three Ames City Council seats up for grabs is being contested, candidates are still running their campaigns full speed ahead.

“I think it’s important for every elected official to earn the job,” said Herman Quirmbach, who is running unopposed for city council. “I’m running a campaign even though I don’t have an opponent.”

Steve Goodhue is running for a seat in Ward 2, which is being vacated by five-term council member John Parks. Goodhue, who also is running unopposed, said his campaign has included going door-to-door to discuss issues with constituents.

“[Running unopposed] hasn’t affected how I have run my campaign or how the campaign is coordinated,” Goodhue said. “The campaign has been coordinated much as if I have an opponent.”

Starlene Rankin is running against Judie Hoffman, who is seeking a fourth re-election for her at-large city council seat.

The four candidates hold similar goals for the development of Ames. Two of the issues at the top of their lists are economic development and managing growth.

“We can’t afford to have the city growing in every direction,” Hoffman said. “It’s important that we have the city grow in a way that we can continue to provide the services that citizens want.”

All of the candidates said managing growth has been an important issue in the past and will continue to be a hot topic in the future. Because of the large amount of growth Ames has experienced, it is up to the city council to develop a plan for growth.

“We are a community that has experienced a great deal of growth, and we will certainly continue to grow,” Goodhue said. “[In] which direction is an issue the council will be facing.”

The candidates also all emphasized the importance of fostering economic development.

“I think we need to be really careful that we are constantly thinking of developing our own local economy,” Rankin said.

Goodhue agreed, saying that a big challenge for the city is “to continue to grow in an industrial base” and “to create economic opportunity and jobs.”

Quirmbach said increasing economic development would help encourage students to stay in Ames after graduation.

“We are adding jobs to our job base so young people can stay here,” Quirmbach said.

Each of the candidates said Iowa State students are a crucial part of the Ames community and need to be represented on the city council.

“There are really specific needs that Iowa State students have,” Rankin said. “While they are here, they are citizens of Ames.”