Thirteen candidates had submitted their applications to run in the city's Dec. 1 byelection by the deadline at noon today.

Star columnist Murray J. Martin, Patrick Singh, Mike Tribes, Ted Lambert, Linda Bonnefoy, Kirk Cameron, Martin Lehner, Pat Berrel, former councillor Duke Connelly, Kirn Dhillon, Harry Hrebien, Norm Hamilton and Cam Kos all submitted their application packages by the deadline.

They are trying to succeed former councillor Doug Graham, who was elected the Yukon Party MLA for Porter Creek North in the Oct.11 territorial election.

"Thirteen is actually a lot for a by-election,” Norma Felker, the city's assistant city clerk, said early this afternoon.

"I think possibly it may be because it is so close on the heels of the territorial election.”

Hamilton and Hrebien have ran in past elections. Singh, Kos and Tribes each ran in the territorial election.

There were two notable absences from the byelection candidates list.

Al Fedoriak, who ran for mayor in the 2009 election, had been expected to be a candidate on Dec. 1.

"He has very strong opinions about council matters,” said Felker. "When he came and picked up his package, I thought he would run.”

Local taxi driver Ron Pumphrey also picked up his package and intended to run.

He arrived in council chambers at exactly 12:01 p.m., after being stuck in a traffic jam he blames on this morning's power outage in Porter Creek.

"I was hoping to be here just before 12 p.m.,” he said. "The power was out, so there were no streetlights, and traffic was backed up. But rules are rules, and I will have to accept that.”