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This story was corrected on Sept. 10, 2009. An explanation of the correction is at the end of the story.

Two candidates will vie for mayor of Rockville and 10 will seek to fill the four seats on the City Council, making it one of the largest fields in more than 60 years.

Eleven candidates ran for council in 2007, the most since the 1954 elections, which drew 12 candidates.

The filing deadline was Friday for candidates interested in running for election in November.

In the mayoral race, Susan R. Hoffmann, who holds the post this term, will seek a second term in office against Councilwoman Phyllis R. Marcuccio, who is serving her second term on the council.

Three candidates sought the office of mayor in 2007.

Former mayor Steven VanGrack said he has high hopes for this election.

"It certainly appears the candidates are focusing in on issues rather than on personalities," he said.

He added that the large field of candidates will probably make for a better election overall.

"I think [having many candidates] is great, I think it's fabulous," he said. "It gives you a lot of options, in terms of voters. It gets more people involved … It looks like the start of a real positive election."

Rockville political guru Roald Schrack also thinks this election will be an exciting one to watch.

"There are two vacancies on the council," he said. "This is pretty unusual. A couple of people that did very well in the last election, and I wouldn't be surprised if they did well in this election."

Names of potential candidates for both races have been tossed around for months.

Notably absent from the list of candidates is Councilwoman Anne M. Robbins, 66, who has served for five terms. She announced last week that she would not seek a sixth term in office in order to spend more time with her family.

Incumbents John Britton, 54, an attorney, and Piotr Gajewski, 50, music director for the National Philharmonic, will seek re-election to second terms in office.

Several other names on the ballot will look familiar to voters.

Carl Henn, a federal employee who works on contract policy for the National Institutes of Health as the acquisition career manager, a bicycle advocate and president of the Hungerford Civic Association, narrowly missed winning a council seat two years ago. Mark Pierzchala, a statistician and also a bicycle advocate, ran for mayor in the last election.

Former Compensation Commission member Virginia Onley has thrown her hat into the ring, as well as Max van Balgooy, chair of the Historic District Commission for the past six years. Bridget D. Newton, vice chair of the West End Citizens Association Committee on Beall's Grant II, will also make a run for council.

Current chair of the Compensation Commission and first-time candidate Thomas Moore will be on the ballot in November as well.

Two newcomers will join the race this election season.

Eighteen-year-old Waleed Ovase, a senior at Richard Montgomery High School who has spoken at several council meetings on a variety of hot-button city issues, and Craig Trapper Martin, manager of the Noodles and Co. restaurant in Rockville, are also testing the political waters for the first time.

Election Day is Nov. 3.

Correction: A previous version incorrectly described the occupation and crendentials of Henn.