One Carbon County Commissioner isn’t running for reelection, but he said that his decision to not file a petition for the primary has not ended his political future in the county.

On Thursday, the county salary board voted to abolish one election board member position. The commissioners must appoint three board members to sit in for them on years the commissioners are up for reelection, however, if a commissioner is not seeking reelection, he can remain on the board.

Petitions to become a candidate were due on Tuesday and both Commissioners Rocky Ahner and Wayne Nothstein submitted their paperwork. Commissioner Chris Lukasevich did not.

He said Thursday that while he did not file nomination petitions for the May primary as required for registered Democrats and Republicans, his decision will not affect his “strategy” moving forward.

According to the voter rolls available at the Carbon County Election Bureau, Lukasevich changed his party to no affiliation on March 7, meaning that while he can not enter as a candidate in the primary due to the party change, he can enter as a candidate in the November general election.

Lukasevich said that he changed his party affiliation “to retain my maximum flexibility” to “achieve any and all of my planned political aspirations and desires relevant to the county level office.”

In regards to the other two election board member positions, on Wednesday, President Judge Roger Nanovic approved Jerry Dotter and Ronald J. Sheehan to stand in Nothstein’s and Ahner’s places on the board.