Wrapping up the mayoral contests
Posted: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 5:44 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
2009
From NBC's Ali Weinberg
Here's a look at the results of the mayoral races -- beyond the higher-profile ones in New York City and Boston.
In Atlanta, a six-way race will lead to a December runoff between the top two candidates, city councilwoman Mary Norwood (I) and state Sen. Kasim Reed (D). According to the AP, Norwood received 45% of the vote and Reed got 38%. If elected, Norwood would become the city's first white mayor since 1973.
Despite a late September poll showing more Charlotte, NC residents would vote for city councilman John W. Lassiter (R) than his opponent, councilman Anthony Foxx (D), the latter won the election by nearly 3,000 votes, becoming the first Democratic mayor of the city in 21 years.
In Ohio, the Democratic incumbent Mayors Mark Mallory of Cincinnati and Frank G. Jackson of Cleveland won re-election. Both supported the Ohio ballot initiative authorizing casino construction in four cities.
Former fire chief and Democrat-turned-independent Mike Bell defeated Democrat (and high school classmate) Keith Wilkowski, 52%-48%. Bell supports the approved casino initiative in Toledo.
Detroit mayor and former NBA star Dave Bing (D) received 58% of the vote to win his first full term after replacing scandal-plagued ex-mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in a May special election.
In Houston, the top two contenders in a four-way race will head to a December runoff. City Controller Annise Parker (D) will face off against former city attorney Gene Locke for three-term Mayor Bill White's (D) open seat. Parker, who received 31% of Tuesday's vote to Locke's 25%, would be the city's first openly gay mayor.
With all precincts reporting, the Miami open seat went to Havana-born commissioner and former television reporter Tomás Regalado (R), who bested fellow Republican commissioner Joe Sanchez, 72%-28%.
Incumbent Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (D-Farmer Labor Party) beat ten challengers, none of whom have held recent political office, in a primary-less election. Thought to be contemplating a run for governor, Rybak was "coy" about his aspirations last night, telling the MinnPost, "I'm going to take a deep breath, go back to work... I may enter that [gubernatorial] race. Let the dust settle."
Twenty-nine-year-old Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D) won his first full term in office after he won a special election in 2007 to replace his predecessor Bob O'Conner, who died months into office from a rare brain cancer in September 2006. He beat out Franco "Doc" Harris, the namesake son of the Hall of Fame Steelers running back.
The Seattle mayoral race is still too close to call, but environmental activist Mike McGinn (D) held a 910-vote lead over T-Mobile executive Joe Mallahan in early returns on Tuesday night. The next vote count will be released this afternoon, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
In St. Paul, incumbent mayor Chris Coleman (D) beat political first-timer Eva Ng (R), 68%-26%. Coleman is rumored to be considering a gubernatorial bid, and would not take Ng up on a pledge that he would not seek higher office if re-elected.
Finally, former St. Petersburg city councilman Bill Foster (R) defeated his former council colleague Kathleen Ford (D) to fill term-limited mayor Rick Baker's seat. With all precincts reporting, Foster had more than 52% of the vote, with Ford pulling just over 47%.
