The vacancy on the El Cajon City Council drew 27 applicants, who will be interviewed beginning next week, city officials announced Thursday.
The candidates are seeking to finish the term of Bill Wells, who was promoted to mayor following the resignation of Mark Lewis. The term runs to November 2016.
The interviews by City Council members of the City Council will get underway at Tuesday's meeting at 7 p.m., according to El Cajon officials.
The applicants on a list provided by the city include Intsar Bales, Theresa Benintende-Wister, Rodney Bohling, Cornelius Bowser, Vickie Butcher, Humbert Cabrera, Fisnik Nick Demaj and Paul Dosik.
Others to apply were Mike Foldenauer, Michael Griffiths, Stephanie Harper, Theodore Kagan, Ben Kalasho, John "Stan'' Landess, James Lewis, Kimberley Lobera and Johnny Minarick.
The rest of the field is made up of Darris Mroz, Melinda Neill, Stephen Nissou, Emily "Lily'' Schworm, Christopher Shamoon, Rodgers Smith, Anthony Sottile, Katherine Spacone, Duane Swainston and Wendie Wigginton.
The deadline to apply was Wednesday.
City officials said it might take a couple of meetings to appoint someone because of the large number of applicants.
Lewis resigned in October, citing health reasons. He had come under fire for making comments viewed as offensive by the East County city's large Chaldean population.
