The slated candidates of the Republican and Democratic Parties fared well in today's primary election if my downtown precinct is any indication, although voter turnout was very low. Only 126 votes were cast, including 88 Democratic votes and 38 Republican votes, which represented less than 15% of the registered voters in the precinct.
In the Democratic mayoral race, slated candidate Melina Kennedy walloped her two opponents, Sam Carson and Ron Gibson, taking 83 of the 88 votes cast today. The Democratic Party's four slated at-large candidates won. Joanne Sanders led the slate with 69 votes, followed by John Barth (56), Zach Adamson (52) and Leroy Robinson (43). Pat Andrews trailed the slated candidates with 39 votes, while Sherron Franklin picked up 23 votes. Slated 15th District council candidate Vop Osili overwhelmed his two Democratic opponents, taking 71 votes to David Baird's 8 votes and Patrice Duckett's 5 votes.
On the Republican side, slated candidates Jackie Cissell, Barbara Malone and Angel Rivera each received 27 votes and Michael Kalscheur picked up 26 votes. Jocelyn-Tandy Adande, who was not slated, won just 6 votes. Mayor Greg Ballard, who was running unopposed, received 36 of the 38 Republican votes cast.
UPDATE: With all but a handful of precincts reporting in Marion County, the slated candidates of both parties have prevailed. Lawrence Mayor Paul Ricketts narrowly defeated John Sollenberg by a 130-vote margin. If the media had focused attention on this race, Sollenberg may have defeated Ricketts, who is a likely loser in November to his Democratic opponent, Dean Jessup. Mayor Greg Ballard, running unopposed, received slightly more votes than Democrat Melina Kennedy received today facing two Democratic opponents. There were no surprises in the district council races. Slated candidates won out.
