ROCHESTER — Though the Rochester election won’t be until April 8, 11 candidates are already running, and the race for Selectman is already contested.

There are 16 positions up for election.

Selectman Woody Hartley will run again for Selectman. Christopher Faustino will oppose him.

Former Marion Town Administrator Paul Dawson, who lives in Rochester will run for the Town Clerk role.

Officials whose term expires this year include Hartley, Naida Parker, set to retire from her Town Clerk position on Feb. 7, Beatrice Renauld (Tax Collector), William Watling Jr. (Herring Inspector), David Souza (Board of Health), Debra Lalli (Board of Assessors), Chris Silveira and Michael Murphy (Planning Board), Rhonda Reints (Plumb Library Trustees), David Shaw (Cemetery Commission), David Sylvia (Park Commission), Anne Fernandes (Rochester Memorial School Committee), Frederick Underhill (Water Commission) and Joseph Pires (Old Rochester School Committee).

There is also a second spot on the School Committee, vacated by Meagan Bennett, and a spot on the library trustees vacated by Phoebe Butler’s passing.

Renauld will run for her position again. “I like my job. I enjoy being the town tax collector and appreciate meeting the people of the town,” Renauld said.

Underhill hopes to stay on the Water Commission. “The commission is involved in three or four projects that I would like to see through while I am still in office,” he said. 

Reints hopes to be re-elected, and Kathryn Besch plans to run for the other library trustee spot. Reints said she was excited by upcoming library renovations and hopes to finish the project in three years.

Other incumbents running again include Fernandes, Murphy, Silveira, Watling, and Lalli. Candidates are allowed to pull papers through Feb. 19. The last day to register to vote will be March 19. The Election will be April 8 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Council on Aging.