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