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neonvincentReturning to Ann Arbor and the surrounding area for three articles written in two days.
Lumm defeats Petersen and Smith overwhelms Leeser for Ann Arbor City Council
Independent Jane Lumm defended her seat against her former colleague Democrat Sally Jane Petersen in the only Ann Arbor City Council contest with both candidates on the ballot. Lumm, who represents Ward 2, is currently the only sitting member of City Council who is not a Democrat. Petersen represented Ward 2 alongside Lumm from 2012-2014.
Chip Smith, the Democratic nominee for the Ward 5 City Council seat, handily defeated write-in candidate Kevin Leeser. Smith unseated incumbent council member Mike Anglin to earn his party's nomination. Leeser had failed to get on the ballot as an independent, then successfully filed the paperwork to become a write-in candidate.
"I was not expecting this," Lumm told the Ann Arbor News as she celebrated with her supporters at Paesanos. Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" played as the crowd watched a slideshow of moments from the campaign trail.
According to the Washtenaw County Clerk's website, Lumm earned 2280 votes (64.46 percent) to Petersen's 1250 (35.34 percent) with only seven write-in ballots. Lumm won every precinct in Ward 2, where 21.26 percent of voters turned out.
Smith's victory was even more overwhelming. He earned 1605 votes (81.02 percent) to 376 votes (18.98 percent), most of which could be assumed to go to Leeser.
On his campaign Facebook page, Smith implored his future constituents to vote even though he faced only a write-in candidate. He wrote that "government is decided by those who show up" and reminded his readers of the victories of County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi in 2010 and Ann Arbor Mayor Al Wheeler in 1977, both of which were determined by one vote. While Smith won, turnout was only 9.56 percent.
In the other three wards, the Democratic nominees won overwhelmingly in low turnout contests against token write-in opposition. Ward 1 incumbent Sabra Briere earned 538 votes (90.12 percent) of the total with 3.67 percent of the registered voters showing up to the polls. In Ward 3, Democratic nominee Zachary Ackerman garnered 730 ballots (90.68 percent) with 4.62 percent turning out. Incumbent John Eaton returned to City Council from Ward 4 with 738 votes (91.91 percent) and a 4.50 percent turnout.
Lumm defeats Petersen and Smith overwhelms Leeser for Ann Arbor City Council
Independent Jane Lumm defended her seat against her former colleague Democrat Sally Jane Petersen in the only Ann Arbor City Council contest with both candidates on the ballot. Lumm, who represents Ward 2, is currently the only sitting member of City Council who is not a Democrat. Petersen represented Ward 2 alongside Lumm from 2012-2014.
Chip Smith, the Democratic nominee for the Ward 5 City Council seat, handily defeated write-in candidate Kevin Leeser. Smith unseated incumbent council member Mike Anglin to earn his party's nomination. Leeser had failed to get on the ballot as an independent, then successfully filed the paperwork to become a write-in candidate.
"I was not expecting this," Lumm told the Ann Arbor News as she celebrated with her supporters at Paesanos. Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" played as the crowd watched a slideshow of moments from the campaign trail.
According to the Washtenaw County Clerk's website, Lumm earned 2280 votes (64.46 percent) to Petersen's 1250 (35.34 percent) with only seven write-in ballots. Lumm won every precinct in Ward 2, where 21.26 percent of voters turned out.
Smith's victory was even more overwhelming. He earned 1605 votes (81.02 percent) to 376 votes (18.98 percent), most of which could be assumed to go to Leeser.
On his campaign Facebook page, Smith implored his future constituents to vote even though he faced only a write-in candidate. He wrote that "government is decided by those who show up" and reminded his readers of the victories of County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi in 2010 and Ann Arbor Mayor Al Wheeler in 1977, both of which were determined by one vote. While Smith won, turnout was only 9.56 percent.
In the other three wards, the Democratic nominees won overwhelmingly in low turnout contests against token write-in opposition. Ward 1 incumbent Sabra Briere earned 538 votes (90.12 percent) of the total with 3.67 percent of the registered voters showing up to the polls. In Ward 3, Democratic nominee Zachary Ackerman garnered 730 ballots (90.68 percent) with 4.62 percent turning out. Incumbent John Eaton returned to City Council from Ward 4 with 738 votes (91.91 percent) and a 4.50 percent turnout.
