ST. CHARLES - St. Charles Mayor Patti York's bid for a fourth term next year could draw opposition from state Rep. Sally Faith.

Faith, a fellow St. Charles Republican, confirmed Thursday that she's considering running for mayor.

She emphasized, however, that her attention now is focused on winning re-election to her House seat in the upcoming Nov. 2 election.  She said she'll decide on whether to enter the mayor's race at some point after that.

Faith, in a brief interview, offered no criticism of York and said she would stress her years of experience in state and local government if she ran for mayor.

Faith, 65, has been a House member since 2005 and is running for her fourth and final term allowed under the state's term limit law. Previously she served 10 years on the St. Charles County Council and on the St. Charles Community College board.

St. Charles has no term limits for municipal office so there's nothing to bar York, 58, from running again. City elected officials in St. Charles run on a nonpartisan basis.  The next mayor will be chosen in April.

If more than two candidates file, a primary in February would narrow the field.

To retain her House seat, Faith must defeat Democratic nominee Paul Woody of St. Charles County.

Woody, 30, a lawyer, used to be an aide to Bob Holden when he was governor and also is a former House Democratic staffer. Libertarian Bill Slantz of St. Charles County also will be on the ballot.