AUBURN – The race to replace Mayor John Jenkins took a twist Monday as Councilor Dick Gleason withdrew his name from the ballot.

Gleason, the city’s Ward 1 councilor, announced in July that he was not going to seek another term in that position. Family and business demands left too little time for City Council matters, he said.

Jenkins walked away from the race himself earlier this month. He cited similar time pressures; he needed more time to promote his motivational seminar business.

Jenkins’ withdrawal led Gleason to add his name to the list of possible mayors. He removed it again Monday.

“As Mayor Jenkins pointed out, self-employed people have special time challenges and in the end, business and family are all that I have time for now,” Gleason said in an e-mail to city councilors and the media.

That makes the race to succeed Jenkins wide open. Three people are passing petitions to place their names on the mayoral ballot. They are Ward 3 Councilor Eric Samson, Fred Sanborn of 143 Mill St. and Daniel Rogers of 129 Kyle Lane.

Candidates for all city offices need to have their petitions settled by Thursday. That’s the deadline to get their names placed on the Nov. 6 ballot.

In the race for at-large city councilors, only incumbent Bob Mennealy has handed in his petitions and guaranteed himself a spot on the ballot. Robert Sevigny of 86 Sixth St. is passing petitions for that seat. Former City Councilor Joe DeFilipp is passing petitions for one at-large seat and the council seat in Ward 3. He is the only person passing petitions for the Ward 3 seat.

Two candidates have guaranteed a spot on the ballot for the Ward 1 council seat – Michael Farrell, of 169 Beaver Road, and Ron Potvin of 82 Northern Ave.

Incumbents Robert Hayes, from Ward 2, and Bruce Bickford, from Ward 4, and Ray Berube, of 117 Ninth St., have turned in their petitions to claim places on the ballot. They have no challengers.

In the race for the Auburn School committee jobs, David Das, Bonnie Hayes and Thomas Kendall have guaranteed spots on the ballot. Das is seeking one of two at-large seats, Hayes is seeking another term in the Ward 2 seat and Kendall is seeking the Ward 3 seat.

Francois Bussier of 9 Winter St., and incumbent Lane Feldman are also passing petitions seeking one of the at-large seats.

Incumbent Lane Feldman is passing petitions for the Ward 1 seat. Jason Pawlina, of 2 Bellflower Dr. is passing petitions for the Ward 4 seat and Lawrence Pelletier is passing petitions for the Ward 5 seat.

Candidates for the School Committee and council need signatures from 25 registered Auburn voters living within their ward. At-large candidates for council or School Committee seats need signatures from 25 Auburn voters living anywhere in the city.