The incumbents are out. Voters elected a new mayor and two new council members Tuesday night, April 8. The Avalon mayoral race was a landslide. The City Council races were decisive.
Ann Marshall won by 75 percent of the overall vote.
Forty-seven percent of eligible voters turned out for the election.
The election results are unofficial. The final results will have to be certified.
The incumbents are out. Voters elected a new mayor and two new council members Tuesday night, April 8. The Avalon mayoral race was a landslide. The City Council races were decisive.
Ann Marshall won by 75 percent of the overall vote.
Forty-seven percent of eligible voters turned out for the election.
The election results are unofficial. The final results will have to be certified.
The City Council races weren’t as decisive as the mayoral race, but the results showed a distinct voter preference for the challengers over the incumbents.
Cinde M. MacGugan-Cassidy and Joe Sampson were elected to the council, defeating incumbents Ralph Morrow and Michael Ponce.
MacGugan-Cassidy received 38 percent of the City Council votes. Sampson received 36 percent.
Ponce received 29 percent of the votes cast and Morrow received 28 percent.
Wayne Griffin, Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, hosted the live broadcast of election results Tuesday night. He said that according to his research, Avalon typically has a high voter turn out that hovers around 50 percent of the registered voters.
Of 1,717 registered voters, 800 ballots were cast—meaning 47 percent of the eligible voters turned out for the election.
Griffin said that 49 percent of voters turned out in 2012; 52 percent turned out in 2010 and 49 percent turned out in 2008.
Mayor’s race
In the mayor’s race, challenger Marshall received 603 votes to incumbent Bob Kennedy’s 189 votes. Marshall took an early lead of 213 votes to Kennedy’s 97 when the absentee and mail votes were counted.
Marshall held and added to her lead when the Precinct 1 votes, representing the east side of Avalon, were counted. Marshall received 114 votes (or 83 percent) from the eastside of the city. Kennedy received 22.
In Precinct 2, the west side of Avalon, 276 voters cast ballots for Marshall. Only 70 westside voters cast ballots for Kennedy.
Council race
In the City Council race, challenger MacGugan-Cassidy received 306 votes overall. She was the only candidate besides Marshall to receive more than 300 votes in the election.
Fellow challenger Sampson received 288 votes.
Incumbent Ponce received 235 votes and fellow incumbent Morrow received 223 votes.
The other challengers did not fare as well.
Tim Winslow, a former council member, received 174 votes.
Burney Ramming received 196 votes.
Alex Sanchez received the fewest votes of all the candidates—43.
Council Member-elect MacGugan-Cassidy apparently thinks voters were looking for something new.
“I think Avalon’s voters understand that the city is facing some big changes and were looking for fresh thinking when it comes to facing those changes,” MacGugan-Cassidy said.
“Now the real work begins of making sure the City of Avalon continues to be the magical place that has inspired so many,” said MacGugan-Cassidy.
According to fellow Council Member-elect Sampson, voters were looking for strong and positive leadership. “This new city council will lead with dignity and optimism toward the community we represent,” Sampson said.
“The people of Avalon are sick and tired of the oppression and discrimination that has been lingering over our heads in the recent past and now that will finally be met with resistance,” Sampson said.
“The choice was clear, the hearts and minds of the fine people of Avalon will be renewed with a positive spirit! My focus will be on showing moral support for our community as our pride and momentum has lost its place. But now we have found it again,” Sampson said.