As of Thursday, eight people have filed to run for Springfield City Council in the April election.

The city began accepting applications on Dec. 3. The last day to file will be Jan. 15.

All but one of the current City Council members are running to keep their seats. A couple of them have some competition already.

New faces include: A federal prosecutor who, decades ago, was elected the first black mayor of a Kansas City suburb. A freelance writer and artist who is likely the first openly LGBTQ person to run for Springfield City Council. A former law enforcement officer who is running on conservative values.

This likely isn't the final list of candidates, as City Council hopefuls have another month to gather signatures and complete their application to run. Other people have announced their intention to run but have not yet officially filed with the City Clerk's Office.

The City Council election will be held on April 2. Six seats, including the mayor's, will be on the ballot.

Mayor

Ken McClure, the current mayor of Springfield, is running for re-election. In 2016, he defeated former City Councilwoman Kristi Fulnecky to become mayor. He first joined council in 2015 as an at-large member.

McClure spent 25 years working in Jefferson City as chief of staff and transition director for former Republican Gov. Matt Blunt and in other positions. He also worked at Missouri State University, where he retired as vice president for administrative and information services in 2015.

Zone 2

Abe McGull is running to represent Zone 2, which covers the northeast quadrant of town. McGull is a retired Navy officer who has worked as a federal prosecutor since 1999.

McGull said some members of City Council urged him to run, knowing he has prior experience in municipal government.

In the 1990s, McGull served on the City Council of Pleasant Valley, a suburb of Kansas City. He was elected the first black mayor of Pleasant Valley. McGull said he was likely the first black mayor of any municipality in Clay County.

"I think it's part of being a citizen of Springfield to do whatever you can to make it better," said McGull, who is also on the board of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

McGull said he doesn't have a specific agenda for his campaign.

"I'm going to listen to the constituents and, whatever experience I have in municipal government, I'll use to be an advocate of Zone 2," he said.

In college and for a few years after, McGull worked as a television cameraman in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A homicide happened in front of him while he was on assignment — and he caught it on camera.

McGull was deployed in Iraq three times. He was awarded a Bronze Star, which is given to members of the military for outstanding work in combat zones.

At the U.S. Attorney's Office in Springfield, McGull primarily focuses on prosecuting drug cases and organized crime, especially cases that involve methamphetamine, he said.

On June 12, 2017, McGull married fellow lawyer Crista Hogan. It was the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Loving v. Virginia, a landmark civil rights case which invalidated state laws prohibiting interracial marriages like theirs.

More:He's black, she's white. Both lawyers, they married on the anniversary of a landmark ruling

Current Zone 2 City Councilman Tom Prater is not running for re-election. Prater is listed as the treasurer of McGull's campaign committee.

McGull said, "Tom did an excellent job as Zone 2 representative and I hope to live up to the example he has set, if elected by the citizens."

Zone 3

Noah Snelson is a Parkcrest neighborhood resident who worked in law enforcement for nine years and now serves as a training coordinator at a manufacturing company.

Snelson said he's been interested in running for office "for a long time." He watches City Council meetings online and attends them in person when he can.

He said he hopes to bring a law enforcement perspective to City Council.

Snelson said the Springfield Police Department is a "fantastic organization." To some people — despite numbers showing a double-digit drop in crime in 2018 — it feels like there's more crime and less "community-oriented policing," he said.

Having been an officer himself, Snelson said he could offer suggestions on City Council about whether to increase the budget for the police and fire departments and how to respond to other public safety-related needs.

Snelson previously worked for Greene and Christian counties as a corrections officer in jails. He also spent about seven years as an officer with the Sparta Police Department.

Though City Council elections are nonpartisan, meaning candidates don't run on any specific political parties' tickets, Snelson said he's running with "conservative values" in mind.

"I'm fiscally conservative," he said. "I don't like to waste taxpayers' money. I like to work within money constraints we're given by the city and I respect every dollar."

Mike Schilling has served as Zone 3 councilman, representing southwest Springfield, since 2015.

According to the city's website, Schilling is currently an instructor at Ozarks Technical Community College, where he teaches American government. In the past, he has taught political science and journalism at Drury University and Missouri State University.

Schilling served for eight years in the Missouri House of Representatives. He has been involved with Ozark Greenways, Ozarks Literacy Council, Springbike Bicycle Club and more, according to the website.

Zone 4

Councilman Matthew Simpson was appointed to join City Council in March, after former Zone 4 representative Craig Fishel resigned to run for the state legislature.

Simpson is the director of research, strategic planning and grant development at OTC.

When he was appointed, Simpson said: "This is a pivotal time for our city. There are important decisions to be made in the next few years. I have a 2-year-old son. It's time for me to build a better future for him and other kids in Springfield so they'll grow up to love it as much as I do."

In 2016, Simpson was crowned the inaugural Captain Springfield through an internet bracket set up by the News-Leader.

Simpson founded retailer Five Pound Apparel with his brother. The company has since been sold to new owners.

Zone 4 covers the southeast portion of town.

General C

Jaye Owens is a freelance writer and artist. She identifies as pansexual and is married to a woman.

Owens is likely the first openly LGBTQ person to run for Springfield City Council.

Owens decided to run in order to bring economic diversity to City Council, whose members trend toward "the wealthy end of the spectrum," she said.

"I would like to be the voice for the people, rather than the businesses in Springfield," she said. "...I look at things from the average point of view of an average person living in Springfield."

As a social activist, Owens said it's also important for her to make sure local laws and policies are equitable for all residents.

For example, she said she'd like to see Springfield bring back legal protections for the LGBTQ community, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Those protections were passed by City Council in 2014. Opponents immediately began gathering signatures to force a repeal of the ordinance. Six months later, it was narrowly repealed by a popular vote.

Owens recognizes that she'll likely "run into some resistance" because of her sexual orientation.

"That's par for the course for anybody in a marginalized community stepping into this arena," she said. "It's worth it to deal with it."

She said her campaign will pave the way for future candidates like herself.

"Even if I don’t succeed, taking that risk and taking those steps would be worth it for those who come after me," Owens said.

Owens is the chair of the southwest Missouri chapter for the National Organization for Women. She is also a member of Missouri Jobs With Justice.

Andrew Lear joined City Council by appointment in October to fill the seat vacated by Kristi Fulnecky, who moved to Nixa.

More:Meet Springfield's new Councilman Andrew Lear, appointed to Fulnecky's former seat

Lear, now retired, was a partner at BKD LLP and has served as chairman of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

"This community has been very good to our family. We've raised a family here and I've lived here most of my life. There's just a tremendous amount of opportunity here, and I want to pay it forward to my kids and their kids," Lear said when he was appointed.

Lear has past board service and chairmanship of Springfield Business and Development Corporation, the Springfield Family Y and the Developmental Center of the Ozarks.

General D

Richard Ollis, CEO and chairman of insurance agency Ollis/Akers/Arney, was appointed to City Council in May 2017.

The seat was previously occupied by McClure, who left it to become mayor.

Ollis was the chair of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce for one year and has been affiliated with the chamber as a volunteer for about 25 years.

He also was the co-founder and president of the Springfield Good Government Committee, a political action committee jointly operated by the chamber and the Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield.

Ollis has been involved with the Springfield Little Theatre, Commerce Bank, Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, Springfield-Branson National Airport, Sister Cities and more.