MARION COUNTY — A hearing scheduled for today in the Marion County case set to decide the outcome of the 2019 Centralia mayoral race has again been continued.

In July, attorneys for Mayor-Elect Bryan Kuder sought summary judgment in their client’s favor but the case has been continued multiple times without action being taken.

Kuder was elected in April 2019 by a majority of voters to serve as Centralia Mayor.

But his victory was vacated by the Centralia City Council after then-city manager Dan Ramey brought information to the City Council claiming Kuder was ineligible to serve as he did not live within the city limits.

Despite Kuder providing proof of living in an apartment within the city limits, the city council chose to vacate Kuder’s election and later appointed Herb Williams to serve as mayor.

In May, Kuder filed a suit in Marion County Court seeking a judgment declaring him the duly elected and qualified Mayor of Centralia.

Summary judgment in the case would place Kuder in the Mayor’s seat just months before the consolidated election scheduled to fill the remaining two years in what would have been his first term in office.

Kuder is seeking election to the mayor’s seat in that election and is running against Williams for the unexpired term.

On Friday, Judge Kimbara Harrellcalled the courthouse saying the case would be continued to January 29 due to extenuating circumstances.

After being elected to the Clinton County State’s Attorney’s Office, attorney Doug Gruenke, who represented the City of Centralia, has been replaced by Luke Behme.

And one of Kuder’s attorneys, Nicole Villani was involved in a car crash last Sunday where she reportedly suffered significant injuries.