Ann Arbor’s Ward 3 residents will choose a new City Council member Nov. 3, with early voting beginning Wednesday, Oct. 21, at two University of Michigan locations.

Democrat Ryan Bartholomew and independent Kenny Leicht are competing for the seat being vacated by Ayesha Ghazi Edwin. Both identify affordability and listening to residents as priorities.

Experience and representation

Bartholomew is policy director for state Rep. Carrie Rheingans. His campaign biography says he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from U-M’s Ford School of Public Policy. He told WEMU that neighbors have expressed frustration about feeling excluded from council decisions.

Leicht is a repair and maintenance technician who says he has worked in Ward 3 for nearly a decade. He told WEMU he chose to run independently to avoid perceptions that he answers to a political party. His Ann Arbor Observer questionnaire emphasizes listening to residents, maintaining financial discipline and balancing transportation needs.

Housing and affordability

In an MLive candidate questionnaire, Bartholomew proposed expanding publicly owned affordable housing, testing subsidized city-run child care and restricting non-owner-occupied short-term rentals. He supports more housing and mixed-use development while seeking to prevent displacement of immigrant-run businesses along Packard.

Leicht’s responses favor incentives for affordable housing, with developers held accountable for financing and construction. He supports concentrating density downtown and along university corridors while easing development restrictions toward the city’s outskirts. He identifies housing, groceries, energy and health care costs as affordability concerns.

Proposal E

Both candidates support Proposal E, according to WEMU. The citizen-initiated charter amendment would require the city to establish a municipal electric utility and its governance structure.

The council’s adopted Oct. 5 resolution criticized the proposal and directed the city attorney to challenge its legality at the appropriate time.

Where to vote

Early voting continues through Sunday, Nov. 1. The University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St., and Duderstadt Center, 2281 Bonisteel Blvd., offer daily voting from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. beginning Oct. 21.

City Hall and the Malletts Creek, Traverwood and Westgate library branches begin early voting Saturday, Oct. 24. City Hall’s voting hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the libraries’ hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to the city clerk.

Registered Ann Arbor voters may use any city early-voting site. Election Day polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3.