Aliza Bloch is set to announce her candidacy in the race for the position of Mayor of Bet Shemesh in the upcoming elections in October. Campaign signs, without her name, are going up around town, and the news sites (kikar, behadrei), and people in the know, are saying that this is the opening shot of Bloch's campaign.

So, if you thought this was going to be a one-horse race with Abutbol not having to campaign against anybody, things look like they are turning out differently than expected.

It should be noted that Bloch's chances of winning are very slim, if almost non-existent. Her best chance is in a scenario in which Degel does not come to an agreement to support Abutbol and fields their own candidate, thus splitting the Haredi vote.

That possible scenario will, it seems to me, push Degel to come to an agreement, maybe lowering their demands a bit, and will also put some pressure on Abutbol to come to terms with Degel. They all know splitting the Haredi vote will be a problem for them so they will work hard, even harder, now to run together.

The occupancy of RBS C over the past few years, which was really expected to help Abutbol, or any Haredi candidate, due to its being a Haredi neighborhood, might be a thorn in Abutbol's side. The residents of RBS C (aka Gimmel) have been outspokenly upset at the city administration, considering the lack of city services and poor infrastructure in their new neighborhood. It remains to be seen whether they will be willing to vote independently of rabbinic instruction or if they will at the last moment circle the wagons, but it could be a major factor in the upcoming campaign.

It looks like the upcoming election will be more interesting than previously expected...