In Narragansett, 15 people are running for the Town Council, including all five incumbents. In neighboring North Kingstown, 13 people are running for the Town Council — none of them incumbents. Over in South Kingstown, 11 people are running for the council — four of them incumbents.

The local political terrain differs, but voters in many South County towns will have a healthy number of choices this year as they elect candidates to local offices, particularly in the races for town councils.

NARRAGANSETT leads the way. In all, 15 council candidates turned in nomination papers by Friday’s 4 p.m. deadline, according to the town clerk’s office. As in other towns, the signatures were still being verified yesterday, but it appears that voters will have some decisions to make, beginning on Sept. 9, when a primary will cut the field to 10.

The race, technically nonpartisan, includes incumbents James P. Durkin, Krista J. Garrett, T. Brian Handrigan, George F. Lenihan Jr. and Christopher Wilkens, and challengers Susan Cicilline-Buonanno, David J. Crook Sr., Alisa Trainor Fleet, Glenna M. Hagopian, Joseph R. Jacome Jr., Michael L. Lapisky, Julie MacMullen, Douglas E. McLaughlin, Michael G. Riley and Denise J. Rubin.

Narragansett has seven people running for the School Committee: incumbent Raymond A. Ranaldi, and challengers Terence W. Ashworth, Guy A. DeWardener, Tammy J. McNeiece, Diane S. Nobles, Susan Jane Pandolfo and Gerald Reynolds.

NORTH KINGSTOWN has 13 candidates from three parties running for five council seats.

The party-endorsed Democratic candidates are Michael S. Bestwick, Jeffrey E. DelGigante, Steven R. Detoy, William H. Gilbert and Tracey McCue. Running without endorsement are Democrats Mark Tripp and Matthew H. Leonard.

The endorsed Republican candidates are Paul L. Dion, Carol H. Hueston, Charles H. Stamm and James D. Berson. Elizabeth S. Dolan, a former council president, was on the GOP ticket earlier, but is running as an independent because of a filing snafu.

The other independent candidate for Town Council is Dorman J. Hayes Jr.

The endorsed Democratic School Committee candidates, running for three seats, are Lynda Avanzato, incumbent Melvoid J. Benson and Richard A. Welch. The Republican School Committee candidates are Lance W. Chappell and Kevin McGovern.

WESTERLY also has 13 Town Council candidates.

The field includes Democrats Diana Avedesian, John Felber, Campbell Field, Brian McCuin, Greg Nedwetzky, Christopher Panella and Kenneth Parrilla; and Republicans Caswell Cooke Jr., Chris Duhamel, Richard C. Anthony, Robert Gionet, Mark Gordon and Joseph Sullivan.

Nine people are running for the School Committee: Democrats James Murano Jr., Patricia Hartford, John Carson Sr., David Patten and Michael Ober; Republicans Scott Bavasso, Dennis Burkholder and his son Wesley Burkholder; and independent David J. Goodman.

SOUTH KINGSTOWN has a full slate, with 11 people running for Town Council, according to the town clerk’s office.

The field includes four incumbents: Mary S. “Polly” Eddy, Kathleen Fogarty, and Ella M. Whaley, all Democrats, and James W. O’Neill, a registered Democrat who runs as an independent. Eddy, Whaley, and Fogarty will be joined on the endorsed Democratic slate by Spencer E. Dickinson, and Carol Hagan McEntee. Also running is Democrat Jonathan Daly-LaBelle.

The Democrats will face off in a primary on Sept. 9.

The other council candidates are J. Stephen Garnett, a registered Republican, and Kenneth Capalbo, who have entered the race as independents; and Republicans Sean O’Donnell and Bryan Owens.

Six people are running for the School Committee. Incumbent Democrats Richard E. Angelli, Stephen Scott Mueller, and Dr. Anthony Mega will be joined on the Democratic slate by Frederick Lee Frostic. Also running are Republican Robert E. Petrucci and independent Jonathan E. Pincince.

In CHARLESTOWN, nine people turned in papers to run for the Town Council, only one of them is an incumbent — James M. Mageau, according to the Town Clerk’s office.

The other council candidates are Democrats Ralph Conti and Raymond Dreczko; Republicans Charlene Q. Dunn and Forrester C. Safford; and independents Gregory Avedisian, Frank L. Bradbury, Marjorie F. Frank and Richard H. Hosp.

By contrast, no one has filed for an open seat on the Chariho Regional School Committee.

On BLOCK ISLAND, incumbent First Warden Kimberley H. Gaffett, an independent, will run against Leslie Dodge Slate, also an independent, for the island’s top chair. Republican Mary Jane Balser will oppose incumbent Raymond J. Torrey, a Democrat, for second warden.

Incumbent Republican Councilmen Kenneth C. Lacoste and Richard Paul Martin will be joined on the GOP ticket by first-time candidate Lesley Jordan Boutin.

Incumbent Dr. Peter Baute is running as an independent, and Kevin Soscia has entered the race as a Democrat.

Incumbents Ann Hall, Chairman William Padien and Sean J. McGarry are running unopposed for the three nonpartisan School Committee seats.

IN RICHMOND, seven candidates turned in nomination papers to run for Town Council.

Running as Democrats are B. Joe Reddish III and Erick A. Davis, both incumbents, and Richard L. Osborne and James E. Thayer. Running as Republicans are incumbents Henry R. Oppenheimer and Kevin R. Gosper. Gerard Curran is running as an independent.

On the Chariho Regional School Committee, William G. Day, the current chairman, is running unopposed for reelection.

Like Richmond, HOPKINTON had seven people turn in nomination papers to run for Town Council, said Town Clerk Elizabeth Cook-Martin. The field includes four incumbents, two current School Committee members and one former council member.

The candidates for the five council seats are Democrats Thomas E. Buck, Beverly Kenney and Sylvia K. Thompson, all incumbents; Republicans George M. Abbott (who currently serves on the school board) and Scott Bill Hirst (a former council member); and independents Barbara Capalbo, an incumbent, and William Felkner, who, like Abbott, currently serves on the school board.

Abbott and Felkner would have to give up their seats on the school board if they elected to the council.

The town also has one seat open on the Chariho Regional School Committee. The lone candidate is Richard A. Vecchio.

Information on which candidates had turned in nomination papers in EXETER was not available yesterday. As of June 25, six people had declared their candidacy for Town Council.

The list included Democratic incumbents Calvin A. Ellis, Kenneth L. Fernstrom, Robert E. Johnson Jr. and William P. Monahan; Democratic challenger Arlene Hicks; and Republican challenger Michael J. Picillo.

Elections for local candidates in Jamestown are held in odd-numbered years.

By Randal Edgar, Katie Mulvaney, Paul Davis and Donita Naylor.