Voters in Henderson elected four new members to the City Council Tuesday, but the mayoral race remains uncertain, as no candidate got 50 percent of the vote.
With 898 votes, Melissa Elliott received just more than 48 percent of the vote, followed by Greg Etheridge who, with 746, garnered just over 40 percent. In a written statement sent to WIZS News Tuesday night, Etheridge indicated that he would request a runoff. If a runoff is called for, the election day would be Nov. 7.
Political newcomers shared the spotlight as the election results were tabulated.
Michael Venable defeated two challengers to win the Ward 3 at-large seat and Tami Walker defeated her two challengers handily to win the Ward 4 at-large seat.
By 8:14 p.m., WIZS News called the race for Ward 2 for Sam Seifert, who defeated incumbent Mike Rainey and challenger Janice Ward with 435 votes, a decisive 60 percent win.
The Ward 1 race was claimed by Geraldine Champion, who got 208 votes for a total of 57.14 percent. She easily defeated the other three candidates.
The evening didn’t go off without a hitch, however; Vance County Board of Elections Chairman James Baines issued a written statement Tuesday evening to report that some voters may have gotten incorrect ballots.
Here’s the statement:
“The Vance County Board of Elections is aware of a geocoding issue that may have caused some voters in the city of Henderson elections to receive a ballot in Tuesday’s election that did not have the correct alderman ward contest. The County Board immediately notified the State Board of Elections, which is working with the county to determine how many voters’ ballots were affected. Election night results are always unofficial, and the post-election canvass process will ensure that the votes are counted correctly for each contest. Election officials will provide additional information about this situation as it becomes available.”
In an interview Tuesday evening at the Board of Elections office, Elliott said she was excited and thankful for the citizens who chose to vote for her.
“I don’t see a runoff at all,” she told WIZS News.
Challenger Etheridge can call for a runoff; WIZS spoke with Etheridge in person after the on-air election coverage had concluded. We anticipate a statement from his campaign that will include his intentions to call for a runoff.
Champion told WIZS Tuesday evening that during her campaign, she talked to – and listened to – many in the community about issues the city faces, including the crime rate. “I’m grateful that (they) thought enough of me and believed in me to want to see a change, a difference in the city of Henderson,” she said.
About 20 percent – 1,856 out of 9,285 registered voters – cast their ballots either during the early voting period or Tuesday; polls closed at 7:30 p.m. and it didn’t take long for elections officials to receive and process the results from the city’s nine precincts.
Seifert said he was proud to be able to serve Henderson. “It’s a good feeling to come back home to Henderson…I’m proud to be able to take this next step in my journey to serve Henderson on the City Council,” he told WIZS News Tuesday by phone.
He said he looks forward to building relationships in the community and on the Council, using “good, solid decision-making so that we give Henderson our best, so Henderson can be its best.”
Ward 4 winner Walker had similar observations, stating that she had met a variety of people during her campaigning and hopes to be able to harness their support to get things done for Henderson. ”It has made me realize that you don’t have to concentrate on one thing,” she told WIZS News. “You’ll meet people along the way that have the same vision.”
Ward 3 at-large winner Venable said he is grateful to his supporters for their vote. “It feels wonderful,” he said Tuesday. “I’m ready to work and serve.” He said he wants to target economic development and address mental health issues, both of which he said are issues the community faces.
The totals from the Vance County Board of Elections are:
Mayor
Melissa Elliott 898
Greg Etheridge 746
Sara Coffey 151
Jason Spriggs 51
Ward 3 at-large
Michael Venable 922
Michelle Horner Wood 597
Corey Franklin 232
Ward 4 at-large
Tami Walker 959
George Daye 533
Lora Durham 141
Ward 1
Geraldine Champion 208
Symia Crews 95
Clementine Hunter 14
Corey Pearson 47
Ward 2
Sam Seifert 435
Mike Rainey 116
Janice Ward 173