And then there were 26.

Just three candidates for Rosemount City Council dropped out of the race by Thursday's deadline, even though an eye-popping 29 initially filed for the chance to fill one of two seats.

Elsewhere in the south metro, a few candidates withdrew at the last minute from local elections without primaries, but most will go on to appear on the November ballot. Here's how some of the contests are shaping up:

*Denotes incumbent

Apple Valley

City Council (2 seats): Tom Goodwin*, Ruth Grendahl*

City Council (1 seat, 2-year term): Sharon LaComb*, Joshua Linde

Burnsville-Eagan-Savage

School board (3 seats): Peter Beckel, DeeDee Currier, Andie Eknes, Ron Hill*, Sandra Sweep, Alan Tschida

Eagan

City Council (2 seats): Cyndee Fields*, Meg Tilley*

City Council (1 seat, 2-year term): Bruce (Buzz) Anderson, Gary Hansen

Elko-New Market

Mayor: Jason Ponsonby, Mark Pollack, Laura Piehl

City Council (2 seats): Brad Smith, Denise Michelle Schneider, Eric Luxmore, Eric Kulig, Bob Hanna, Jim Friedges*, Joseph Crawford

Farmington

Mayor: Todd Larson, David McKnight, Abel Miranda, Kevan A. Soderberg*

City Council (2 seats): Jason E. Bartholomay, Terry Donnelly, Adam Kneeland, Julie May, David Pritzlaff, Edgar Samuelson

Jordan

Mayor: Ron Jabs*, Pete Ewals, Daniel Elke

City Council (3 seats): Thomas Boncher, Jonathan Brandtner, Sally Schultz*, Mike Shaw*, Tanya Velishek

Lakeville

Mayor: Holly Dahl*, Wendy Wulff

City Council (2 seats): Sunny Bhakta, Brooks Lillehei, Laurie Rieb*, Kerrin Swecker*, W. Peter "Pete" von Hohenberg

School board (3 seats): Bob Erickson, Judy Keliher*, Kathy Lewis*, Randy Pronchinske, Ron Schieck*

New Prague

Mayor: Bink Bender*, Craig Sindelar

City Council (2 seats): Rob Babione, Mark Bartusek, Ken Betterton, Blake Bredeson, Kristin Guerrette, Dick Jordan

Northfield

City Council (1 seat, 2-year term): Joe Gasior, Rhonda Pownell, Victor Summa, C. Lynn Vincent

Rosemount

City Council (2 seats): Amy Ammann, Mike Baxter*, Kurt Bills, Benjamin Burdick, Chris Carson, David Durigan, Maila Ellefson, Joshua Erspamer, David Ganfield, Valora Glinski, Kevin Grass, Todd Hendry, Fred L. Hrbek, Conni Jensen, Kelly Johnson, Charles Koehnen, Barry Lindahl, Steve Lyzenga, Michele Mato, Lee Morton, Rob Newhouse, John Oxborough, James Skjei, Michael Smith, Jeff Weisensel, John Zweber

SARAH LEMAGIE, DAVID PETERSON