Incumbents were re-elected in almost every race in municipal elections yesterday. Voter turnout was unusually high in Scranton and Churdan, at 26 percent in Scranton and 38 percent in Churdan.
Scranton voters elected two council members from a slate of four candidates. They were the only voters not to re-elect an incumbent. Randy Winkelman, a newcomer to the council, was elected with 78 votes (43.6 percent). Incumbent Marilyn Jacobsen was re-elected with 44 votes (24.5 percent). Lisa Dankel received 32 votes (17.9 percent) and incumbent Tina Walker received 23 votes (12.9 percent). Also on the ballot was an election to fill a vacant seat. Ethel Subbert was the only person on the ballot for that seat. She received 61 votes (77.1 percent). Incumbent mayor Rodney Walker ran unopposed and received 55 votes (68.8 percent). There were 25 scattered write-in votes for mayor. A total of 94 persons voted.
In Churdan, write-in candidate Nate Byerly was elected to the city council with 46 votes (23 percent). Incumbent council member Jason Stauffer was re-elected with 74 votes (37 percent). April Olson Hose received 28 votes (14 percent) and Linda Gaines received 27 votes (13.5 percent). Eddie Lusk received 17 write-in votes (8.6 percent). Incumbent mayor Joleen Killeen ran without opposition. She received 88 votes (91.7 percent). A total of 107 ballots were cast.
Jefferson voters re-elected council person Gary Von Ahsen for an at large seat with 274 votes (69.5 percent). Brandon Gustoff received 119 votes (30.2 percent). Council member Larry Teeples ran unopposed in District 1 and received 334 votes (98.5 percent). There was not an incumbent on the ballot in District 3. Harry Ahrenholtz received 258 votes (68.2 percent) while Matthew Roberts received 117 votes (31.1 percent). Mayor Craig Berry’s position was not up for re-election. A total of 396 ballots were cast with voter turnout at 12 percent.
In Paton, there were no names on the ballot for two council seats and the election was done by write-in. Matt Fox received nine votes (33.3 percent) and Kevan Hoefling received eight votes (29.6 percent). Diane Hanlon and Steve Joy each received five votes (18.5 percent). Incumbent mayor Joseph R. Bindner was unopposed and received 20 votes (90.9 percent). A total of 23 ballots were cast for 13.7 percent voter participation.
In Grand Junction, incumbent Darren Jackson was re-elected to the council with 43 votes (36.8 percent) and incumbent Pierre Kellogg was re-elected with 37 votes (31.6 percent). Teresa Lansman was elected by write-in to a third seat with 11 votes (9.4 percent). Larry Pote was elected to fill a vacant seat with 12 votes (50 percent cast for that position). Incumbent mayor Gerold Herrick ran unopposed and was re-elected with 40 votes (81.6 percent). Fifty-one ballots were cast for voter turnout of 9.6 percent.
Fifteen Rippey voters participated in an election in which there were no races. Incumbent council members Garry W. Higgins and Gail Monthei ran unopposed. Higgins received 14 votes (51.9 percent) and Monthei received 13 votes (48.1 percent). Mayor Daniel Brubaker received 14 votes, 100 percent of the votes cast for mayor. Voter turnout was 9 percent.
Four voters in Dana re-elected incumbent mayor Jack Pederson. Raymond D. Halterman received four votes for city council and Mandy Sims received four votes to fill a vacancy on the council. Voter turnout was not provided by the county auditor’s office.
All vote totals are unofficial until the Greene County board of supervisors canvasses the vote next Tuesday.
