GALVESTON — The island’s political spectators already are placing bets on who will win next year’s city council races, months before the field officially is set.

Mayoral candidate Joe Jaworski was the first to claim his place on the ballot, launching his campaign one year before the May 8, 2010, election.

His early entry into the race has prompted others to step up to the starting line, or at least sidle a little closer to it.

Former councilman Juan Peña confirmed this week he planned to try to regain the District 3 seat he lost to Elizabeth Beeton last year. Peña said he decided to run again because he is passionate about the island and is committed to serving the community.

Chris Gonzales, another candidate from the 2008 ballot, said he was thinking about running for the District 4 seat again, although he declined to comment further on his possible candidacy. Gonzales lost his first election to newcomer Susan Fennewald.

Former Councilwoman Dianna Puccetti, who lost her District 6 seat last year to Karen Mahoney, also said previously she was considering another run.

Puccetti did not return calls seeking comment for this story.

Mayor pro tem Danny Weber, who represents District 5, is serving his final term as a council member this year but has said he intends to join Jaworski in the mayor’s race.

Two well-known island natives, Steve Greenberg and Tino Gonzalez, have confirmed they are thinking of seeking Weber’s seat.

Greenberg said he would concentrate on getting more money into infrastructure and finding ways to increase the number of middle-income families living on the island, if elected.

Gonzalez, who is chairman of the board of regents for Galveston College, said he wanted to put his experience dealing with budget issues to good use in helping to manage the recovery money pouring into the island.

The mayor’s race remains the biggest field, although one potential candidate already has dropped out of the running.

Former Mayor Roger “Bo” Quiroga said this week he had changed his mind about trying to get his old job back. With the national economy in the dumps, Quiroga said he needed to concentrate on building his new business and replenishing the savings he’s lost in the last few years.

But three other mayoral hopefuls still are considering bids to replace Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas, who will reach her three-term limit in May and cannot run for re-election.

Businessman Mony Shlomo Hamo still is committed to challenging the people he said already have had their chance to improve the city. If he’s elected, Galveston will get a cleanup, Hamo said.

Johnny Smecca and Betty Massey also are thinking about challenging Jaworski and Hamo, although neither has committed to the race.

Smecca is a member of the Planning Commission, owns several island restaurants, and ran against Thomas three years ago.

Massey works for the Mary Moody Northen Endowment but is best known now for leading the 300-member committee that drafted the city’s recovery plan earlier this year.