Ann Arbor mayor, incumbent City Council members declare victory over slate of challengers
Ann Arbor City Council Member Sandi Smith, D-1st Ward, right, and supporter Sally Day, left, sit in Braun Court in downtown Ann Arbor listening to the music of Tracy Mack and waiting for election results to come in. Smith came the closest to defeat on Tuesday, getting 55 percent of the vote in a tough race.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje and three of his colleagues on the City Council declared victory Tuesday night over a slate of candidates who were hoping to oust them.
The challengers waged an aggressive campaign during the last few months, but it was clear when the polls opened Tuesday morning that voters favored Hieftje over his opponent, Patricia Lesko, and also spoke highly of the three incumbent council members. Ultimately, voters affirmed their support for all four incumbents.
Ann Arbor City Council Member Margie Teall, D-4th Ward, watches the results come in favorably Tuesday night at Vie Spa & Fitness.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
"Voters recognized the work that we've been doing," Hieftje said. "They looked around and said, 'Hey, Ann Arbor's doing pretty well in the worst economy since the Great Depression and the city is still making strides in a good direction.' Yeah, we have some potholes, we have a bridge that we have to fix, but they saw that we're working hard on those things and they had confidence in us."
With all 48 city precincts reporting, Hieftje tallied 10,058 votes (84 percent), compared to Lesko's 1,869 votes (16 percent).
In the 1st Ward race, incumbent Sandi Smith had 1,004 votes (55 percent) to Sumi Kailasapathy's 833 votes (45 percent) with all 10 precincts reporting.
In the 5th Ward, with all 11 precincts reporting, incumbent Carsten Hohnke had 2,415 votes (72 percent) and challenger Lou Glorie had 934 (28 percent).
In the 4th Ward, Margie Teall had 1,448 votes (69 percent), compared to challenger Jack Eaton, who had 642 (31 percent) with all nine precincts counted.
Lesko, who attracted the most attention throughout the campaign for her attacks on Hieftje, congratulated the mayor in an e-mail shared with AnnArbor.com late Tuesday night.
"The people of Ann Arbor voted and the message was that they like the direction the city is headed in," Lesko wrote. "Good luck in the upcoming year."
Hohnke, Teall and Hieftje celebrated victory with friends and family at a private party held at Vie Fitness & Spa in downtown Ann Arbor.
Mayor John Hieftje poses for a picture with his wife and son after declaring victory at a party at Vie Spa & Fitness.
Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com
"I never expected that I would get the support that I got from even people who came out of the blue and volunteered to help," Teall said of her victory. "I think it was a matter of people trusting what we have done and wanting us to continue in that direction into the future. People are pretty happy with the direction that Ann Arbor is going in right now."
Hohnke said he was gratified to have a positive job approval from his bosses, the voters of Ann Arbor. He said Tuesday's vote speaks volumes.
"I think what people said today decisively was that we're getting the balance right in terms of adjusting to the structural changes in the state and in our budget, but also not pulling our heads into our turtle shells," he said. "We're getting the balance right in making the long-term investments that are important for coming out of the economic downturn that we are in and setting Ann Arbor up well for the future."
Hieftje offered similar comments.
"We made a decision several years ago that we can't just hide our heads in the sand and hunker down," he said. "We need to position the city for when this recovery comes and to lead perhaps this state out of the recession.
"This has been a very tough decade for government finance," he added. "We've had a City Council that is dedicated to moving the city forward, but things don't get any easier in the next year or the year after. We have to continue to balance preservation with new development, and balance revenues obviously with expenditures."
The defeated slate that included Lesko, Glorie, Eaton and Kailasapathy gathered with supporters at Cafe Zola downtown. Glorie, who gave a speech in which she characterized the four of them and their supporters as "a group of people who dared to flout authority," spoke bluntly about why she lost to Hohnke.
"I think I really ran a pretty crappy campaign because I was my own campaign manager. It's really a dumb thing to do," she said. "I'm considering a write-in campaign for November and I'll do that if I procure a campaign manager and at least four solid volunteers."
Eaton partly blamed the media for his slate's loss.
Lou Glorie, who lost in the 5th Ward race for City Council, gives a speech to supporters gathered at Cafe Zola Tuesday night.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
"We gave it our best and we got just really shitty press coverage and I think that had an effect on the overall campaign," he said. "And they ran a good cohesive slate against us and beat us, so they deserve to be congratulated."
Kailasapathy, who ran the most successful campaign of any of the challengers, said she found a small victory in her defeat. She said she was happy to bring concerns about city spending and cuts to core services to the forefront of public discussion.
"For me, it was always about issues," she said of her campaign. "And yes, I did lose the election, but the issues haven't gone away. The primary is over, but the issues are not resolved. I hope now the current council can move forward on these issues."
Teall said she takes to heart the concerns raised by the challengers.
"There were views brought up that I will look at seriously and I think that other incumbents will look at seriously," she said. "The fact that they did run a strong campaign and bring up issues that they were concerned about will help us to move forward with the city in a positive way."
Smith, who joined her fellow incumbents later in the evening, said her opponent ran a strong campaign and she's honored and privileged to serve another term.
Smith and Teall will advance to the November general election unopposed. Hieftje still faces independent challenger Steve Bean, head of the city's Environmental Commission.
Hohnke faces independent challenger Newcombe Clark and Republican John Floyd in November — and, perhaps, Glorie as a write-in.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
b.Marie
Wed, Nov 3, 2010 : 9:47 p.m.
Perhaps I'm confused by our city government. Let's see... We voted in people who will not pay to have the Stadium Blvd street/bridge over State St fixed... and who want to turn our lovely Huron Hills golf course and greenland area into condos,..... yet they spend millions of dollars buying up farm land outside the city for "that" greenland???????? Am I on Mars? Where in the world are the heads of the voters in Ann Arbor? It's embarrassing.
PACE
Mon, Aug 9, 2010 : 2:57 p.m.
Bean for mayor! Anyone is better hetfje
John Floyd
Fri, Aug 6, 2010 : 10:22 p.m.
Pat Lesko was the ONLY person willing to run against Mayor Hieftje. In all of Ann Arbor, no one else was willing to take on that burden. Even with Ms. Lesko running, it didn't strike me that Mayor Hieftje was all that eager to discuss the issues, certainly not in any detail or specificity. With NO ONE ELSE running against him, imagine how much discussion there would have been had she decided NOT to run. Love her or loath her personally, with no other candidate in the primary, her willingness to play the roll of Opposition was a public service. John Floyd Republican for Council Ward 5
Somewhat Concerned
Thu, Aug 5, 2010 : 5:33 p.m.
I guess the winning candidates are taking this as a mandate for business as usual: everyone tighten your belt except the City; more spending; more taxes and fees; more people and businesses moving out; repeat the cycle. Throw in more chain restaurants, more bars, more mandates for tiny, vocal splinter groups. See Ann Arbor 10 years from now looking a lot like every other dink town in the midwest near an Interstate, but with lots more drunk students.
HaeJee
Thu, Aug 5, 2010 : 2:48 p.m.
@Barb, perhaps it looks as if the "media" turned on Lesko, but reading what they wrote was very true. If I did not have personal experience in seeing how the wreck she creates after arriving like a tornado, I may have the same opinion as you. Knowing how she bluntly lies about people, does not make me sympathetic to the negative comments she gets. She has hurt many people that she identified in being in her way. Regarding the media and opinion of AA.com, to everyone that thinks they can do better, then do it! I find it laughable when I read comments from people making claims with certainty that AA.com is not following the code of regulations in writing a story. It is very easy to be a critic, but at least be qualified to be a critic.
Somewhat Concerned
Thu, Aug 5, 2010 : 1:41 p.m.
More spending on everything that might be nice, and then raise taxes, parking fees and everything else. I've never thought Ann Arbor was the la-la land that others think it is, but I think I was wrong. There are lots of good things that we can't afford, and it is a mark of maturity to be willing and able to control oneself in the face of all those good things. Ann Arbor is going to collapse under the weight of its own spending, the way NYC did under John Lindsay and the way the US might if we don't change our ways. This is the first time I've thought of Saline as a more intelligent place than Ann Arbor.
LiberalNIMBY
Thu, Aug 5, 2010 : 9:35 a.m.
I hope this frightful primary makes at least a few people think really hard about why so few people run for city council. My feeling is that the partisan primary has a lot to do with it. Does anyone know exactly how many other cities in Michigan play this same charade?
Barb
Thu, Aug 5, 2010 : 9:35 a.m.
@Leann, I'm not defending all of Pat's actions but um, the media *did* turn on her (she spoke a lot more truth than people gave her credit for) - as it did on all the candidates running against the incumbents. I'm with @ShadowManager. Congrats to A2.com and young Mr. Stanton. You did what you set out to do. I hope to see Jack Eaton continue his work around the city. We need more minds like his. And I find the continuing ad hominem attacks on the losing candidates to be in poor taste, but more importantly, disappointing. Once again, we deserve what we get.
deb
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 7:43 p.m.
I by no means think that the primary showed that "Voters recognized the work that we've been doing" as good work, or "looked around and said, 'Hey, Ann Arbor's doing pretty well in the worst economy since the Great Depression and the city is still making strides in a good direction.' Yeah, we have some potholes, we have a bridge that we have to fix, but they saw that we're working hard on those things and they had confidence in us." No one has seen you "working hard" on the bridge, you have done nothing with it. We did see you put up a new city hall and waste money on a water fountain (Q: If we are such a sustainable city and care about the enviroment so much, why do we need something so wasteful? Im not even talking about the start-up cost of the waterfall, but the future of it like the price to run and the water it uses(evaporation.)) I think the election showed how bad one candidate was. Stop heaping praise on yourself John. Are you going to start referring to yourself in the third person also? You ran a campaign with no platform, just "were doing ok" in this economy and things were behind when you were initially elected (its been TEN years, stop pulling that card.) "This has been a very tough decade for government finance," government finance is tough, but to minimize an entire decade? I think there may have been some good years in there. Ann Arbor has not been effected nearly as much as anywhere else in Michigan because of the U of M. Stop acting like you have safely brought a sinking ship to port. The real referendum on your abilities as a mayor will be when a credible candidate runs against you. That has not happened yet.
Zorro1
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 5:20 p.m.
Um... The reason that primary elections exist is so that people who declare a party affiliation can select a single candidate to represent their party in the general election. Democrats would not want people who declare themselves as Republicans to have a voice in choosing the candidate for their party, or vice versa. You can vote for any candidate you want in the general election, or persuade the candidate you like to declare for your favorite party. IT'S CANDIDATE SELECTION, NOT OFFICE HOLDER SELECTION. Naturally, if one of the parties does not have a chance then the primary becomes the defacto general election. That is a problem with that particular party, not a problem with the process.
Canuck
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 1:46 p.m.
Is it any wonder that many Americans have been completely turned off to politics? Many years ago, I was a registered Democrat. I even supported and did some campaigning for a man named Zolton Ferency, who left the Democratic Party to found the Human Rights Party in the 70s. At one time I was naive enough to believe that Democrats (and others left of center) held the moral high ground. My only excuse was that I was young, impressionable and idealistic. I would be embarrassed to align myself with a political party in todays political environment. I am well aware that nasty politics have been around forever Tammany Hall, Watergate, and all the other examples of politics/politicians gone bad. However, somehow, it all seems uglier and more personal these days! Maybe it is just my old age talking, but I find it astonishing that both political parties in this country (and at least one of them, locally) appear to delight in eating their young. Whether one was for Hieftje or Lesko, one of the incumbent City Councillors or one of their challengers, when fellow democrats treat each other in the disrespectful way they often did leading up to our local elections (and apparently will continue to do here), it is a wonder to me that anyone would even want to run for political office in this town. Kudos to all who ran in the democratic process and many thanks to all who serve.
demistify
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 1:28 p.m.
Yes, David Cahill, a candidate can do well who can invent a persona not encumbered by a track record or political associates. Rick Snyder demonstrated that. As you say, Kailasapathy might have fared better as an unknown not associated with Pat Lesko or David Cahill. That is a regrettable consequence of an unsophisticated electorate.
PACE
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 1:28 p.m.
Ty @ Edward Vielmett
Lokalisierung
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 1:15 p.m.
"I meant to finish the above with the thought that the community at large is bigger than those registered to vote within the city limits. And only a small percent of those eligible to vote actually did." Well that's the only thing we have to go on. It's pointless to say we think maybe there are a lot of people that are not satisfied with the way the city is being run, they just chose not to/do not have the ability to cast a vote.
Craig Lounsbury
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 12:56 p.m.
I meant to finish the above with the thought that the community at large is bigger than those registered to vote within the city limits. And only a small percent of those eligible to vote actually did.
Craig Lounsbury
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 12:50 p.m.
"So much for the oft-repeated contention that the sturm und drang expressed by posters on A2.com represented anything but a very small minority of the community at large." Whats your definition of "the community at large."? It occurs to that the
Lokalisierung
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 12:34 p.m.
"That being said, I do wish we had open primaries in this state." This was an open primary.
Speechless
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 12:34 p.m.
The immediate disappearance of VoteLesko.org tells us a good deal about the nature of the candidate in question. This is clearly an act of immaturity, although her defeat also means we've passed up on an opportunity to add entertainment value to watching council meetings on cable. For the moment, however, we can nostalgically relive déjà vu all over again through VoteLesko's miraculous afterlife in the Google cache netherworld. I also share the opinion that Sumi would now effectively be council-member-elect had she run in the First Ward without a mayoral candidate on her slate. As I wrote after earlier election articles, the mayor went negative on Lesko not to improve his own chances, but in order to enhance the albatross effect of her mayoral campaign on each of the three city council challengers; he was most concerned, quite accurately, about Sandi Smith's reelection prospects.
Lokalisierung
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 12:20 p.m.
Well I called out Lesko getting 11-12% so 16% she should be proud of.
AstroJetson
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 10:49 a.m.
I, for one, voted the Democratic ticket in the primary but did NOT vote for either mayoral candidate. Look forward to voting for Steve Bean in November!
Carolyn
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 10:45 a.m.
@snapshot I made a conscious choice (after spoiling a ballot) to cross party lines to vote for Rick Snyder feeling pretty confident that Heiftje would win. That being said, I do wish we had open primaries in this state. That being said, I still would not have voted for Lesko.
Tom Teague
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 10:17 a.m.
Before you blame the lack of crossover voting in the primary for Lesko's loss, here's some math. According to the figures now on the Washtenaw Election Board website, there were 17,625 votes cast in Ann Arbor polling places yesterday. Of those, the Mayor and Pat Lesko received a combined 11,927 votes leaving 7,567 votes that weren't cast for one of those two candidates. There a variety of reasons for that number: Republican Primary voters probably being the largest percentage. But there may be voters who overlooked the mayoral selections on the ballot (hard to believe, but it happens) and people who voted in the Democratic Primary but just didn't want to vote for either candidate. But for the sake of figuring out whether to blame the primary system, imagine that *every single one* of those votes that were not cast in the mayoral primary were cast for Pat Lesko, she still would have lost this race. When the numbers stack against a candidate like that, it's just not accurate to blame the primary system for the defeat.
HaeJee
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 10:04 a.m.
I hope this win doesn't get to the head of the incumbents. They only got a small precentage of votes considering the population. I think they got this kind of support just because SO MANY didn't want Lesko. @Barb, btw: Lesko was compared to Palin because her behaviors were similar, she make untrue claims, never took any accountability for her past actions, blaming others, and turning on the media when it doesn't suit her.
David Cahill
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 9:57 a.m.
Yes, if Kailasapathy had not been dragged down by Lesko, she would have beaten Smith. Kailasapathy got more votes than Lesko in every First Ward precinct.
PACE
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 9:55 a.m.
@ ormad. I know for a fact lesko personally called And thanked people for they're support.
John Q
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 9:42 a.m.
"I agree with Snapshot, and I will NEVER vote in another primary election. Why we can't vote for whomever we want to rather than vote just one party is just not fair." Sounds like you don't understand the concept of party primaries. They are intended to allow people who belong to each party to select the candidate they want to represent their party. While no one is forced to declare their party preference, limiting voters to a single party is intended to limit efforts to manipulate the party's candidate selection by crossovers from outside the party. You act as if the party's selections are the only choices. Candidates can and do choose to run as independents. But by agreeing to run under a party label, those candidates are agreeing to follow those rules. Don't like being limited that way? Blame the candidates for running under a party label.
peg dash fab
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 9:31 a.m.
Katie, you are absolutely right that Sumi got killed by her association with Lesko. I spoke with Sumi at Kerrytown and found her to be bright, appealing, and well-qualified. But when I learned that Sumi had aligned herself with Lesko, I concluded that her political and character judgment was deeply flawed; I threw my support entirely behind Smith, and urged my family, friends, and neighbors to support Smith as well. I believe Sumi's platform and background would have easily carried the day for her without that loathsome lying Lesko albatross around her neck. Lou Glorie's observation that she lost because she ran a "crappy campaign" is dead on, but Lou doesn't get it: the crap in her campaign was her association with Lesko!
ordmad
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 8:45 a.m.
To my mind, the most telling sign of the quality and integrity of Lesko's candidacy is this: votelesko.org came down almost immediately, with not so much as a thank you to the people (relative handful though they may be) that supported her. And her comment (you got what you wanted, good luck....) reminds me of a kid who loses a ball game, picks up his gear, and goes home in a snit. I think the people of Ann Arbor can only hope she stays there and out of the game.
Tom Teague
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 8:42 a.m.
Before you blame the lack of crossover voting in the primary for Lesko's loss, here's some math. According to the figures now on the Washtenaw Election Board website, there were 17,625 votes cast in Ann Arbor polling places yesterday. Of those, the Mayor and Pat Lesko received a combined 11,927 votes leaving 7,567 votes that weren't cast for one of those two candidates. There a variety of reasons for that number: Republican Primary voters probably being the largest percentage. But there may be voters who overlooked the mayoral selections on the ballot (hard to believe, but it happens) and people who voted in the Democratic Primary but just didn't want to vote for either candidate. But for the sake of figuring out whether to blame the primary system, imagine that *every single one* of those votes that were not cast in the mayoral primary were cast for Pat Lesko, she still would have lost this race. When the numbers stack against a candidate like that, it's just not accurate to blame the primary system for the defeat.
ShadowManager
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 8:39 a.m.
Congrats & Kudos to the Ann Arbor Dot Com and particularly Mr. Ryan Stanton for running an excellent campaign for the incumbents!
Wolverine3660
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 8 a.m.
Lesko was, among other things, a legend in her own fevered mind. And add her history in this town, it was no wonder she lost by such a big margin. She should slink off and concentrate on building up her "publishing empire".
xmo
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 7:55 a.m.
Why didn't Lesko and her slate run as a Republican? I guess thats worst than loosing the election.
L'chaim
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 7:37 a.m.
Was every candidate given some kind of compensation for going to various local businesses so they could have their names splashed across the paper today??
katie
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 7:33 a.m.
Yes, I'd like to see a really good independent run to challenge business as usual. Lesko's resounding loss alongside Sumi K's stronger showing demonstrates that a good, articulate candidate like Sumi can challenge business as usual. I think that Sumi was hurt by her association with the Lesko slate. I'd like to think that the current group would stop with the construction projects.
Plubius
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 7:18 a.m.
And I always thought that Ann Arborites were intelligent. Guess I was wrong. After all of the incredibly stupid actions by this mayor/council, the people re-elected them. Maybe it is time to move to Alaska...
DagnyJ
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 7:09 a.m.
Hey, we get it. Lesko lost. Yup. The incumbents' supporters can now demonstrate why their candidate deserved to win. Not by singing his praises. But by continuing to trash Lesko. I do hope that a truly viable candidate emerges as an independent to run in the fall.
Elizabeth Nelson
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 6:33 a.m.
The theory that Lesko was hurt by the primary rules (i.e. can only vote Repub or Dem, no splitting votes) doesn't hold water for me. I live with one person who would ordinarily have taken a Repub ballot but specifically voted Dem because of the mayoral race and the fear of Lesko winning. Lesko has no idea how much the thought of her as mayor scared people.
Awakened
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 6:26 a.m.
10,005 for Heiftje and 1,869 for Lesko = 11,874. That is only about 10-12% of the population. Maybe 30-35% of voters... I guess all this talk about problems with the City government was overblown. Most people just aren't worried enough to vote.
Rasputin
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 6:12 a.m.
Congratulations to all the winners ('cept for Snyder)! While I'm not surprised, I bet many in the Lesko camp are scratching their heads.
PACE
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 3:51 a.m.
I feel so sorry for you people. Ut you get what you deserve. Wow. I'm so glad I don't pay taxes to you're joke of a city govt. V
Roadman
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 12:49 a.m.
To put the Lesko debacle in proper perspective, let us compare it to the 2008 mayoral election. Tom Wall, a Democratic primary challenger who never held public office, never had any real endorsements, and was widely considered as a political gadfly who did little more than put up a campaign website and shake a few hands, got over 31% of the primary vote - about twice the percentage of Ms. Lesko tonight. In the general election, Hieftje faced Libertarian Party nominee Eric Plourde - a U-M student with a zero campaign budget who did little more than attend a debate with the Mayor - and who got a whopping 14% of the November general election vote; this was only a little more than 1% less better than the less than 16% Lesko received. In sum, this is one of the most humiliating primary defeats suffered by any candidate since well... Leigh Greden - who is smiling somewhere at this time as the adage "What goes around comes around" has become agonizingly apparent to Pat Lesko. Just cannot wait to see what spin she puts on this landslide in her blog.
johnnya2
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 12:19 a.m.
Having primaries in general is why the country is in a mess. The two party )(which are really one party) want to maintain control and not have outsiders break up their party. Why not put no letters after all candidates names. They run on November 2. Winner takes all. This way there isn't the silly in fighting with people and unholy alliances. If you harken back to the 2008 elections, if this system were in place it might have made Hilary president, or an number of other challengers would need to decide if they wanted to be in it.
peg dash fab
Wed, Aug 4, 2010 : 12:16 a.m.
what a delight to see that lying loudmouth get her patootie punted in the primary! and while i respect the council aspirants who aligned themselves with her, they should have known better: when you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.
rkb0929
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 11:40 p.m.
I agree with Snapshot, and I will NEVER vote in another primary election. Why we can't vote for whomever we want to rather than vote just one party is just not fair. I DID NOT get to vote for mayor selections today because of this. I was going to vote for Lesko just to send a msg. Again, any voter elections people out there or AA.com -- we need to change back to voting for whomever you want, rather than just straight party for primaries!
Speechless
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 10:51 p.m.
"... Democrats who crossed party lines to vote for a republican candidate could not vote for a mayoral candidate.... This may have affected the results...." Yes!  The Lesko postmortem spin begins!! "... Bring on the new, computer-chip infested recycling carts!" If it might help, I'll lend you the oversized tin foil hat we place over our cart.
Urban Sombrero
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 10:39 p.m.
I knew it. And, darn it. I didn't like Lesko, and I don't like Hieftje. So, really, I felt like no matter who won, we're still screwed. lol Anyway, darn it.
snapshot
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 10:33 p.m.
For anyone who actually voted you know that a split ballot was not allowed. Democrats who crossed party lines to vote for a republican candidate could not vote for a mayoral candidate because their ballet would be rejected entirely. This may have affected the results. I'm just saying. I'm surprised no other poster considered this. Maybe we have fewer voters than we think.
katie
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 10:30 p.m.
I'm not sorry that the mayor, et al. won, but I am sorry that they did not win by a much narrower margin. I do think that Sumi was a strong candidate, so that may have sent one message anyway. The incumbents needed a some humility and now I'm afraid that most will just go ahead with mucho spending on construction projects and outrageous things like that big ugly tippy box of a convention center.
DagnyJ
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 10:21 p.m.
Phew! I was worried for a minute that the Stadium Bridge might get fixed and the City Hall fountain cancelled. Thank goodness for the incumbents. Bring on the new, computer-chip infested recycling carts!
Bill Wilson
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 10:18 p.m.
Wonder if we'll see "The Politics of Losing" on a2politico.com?
rco
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 10:09 p.m.
When a town like Ann Arbor can't fix things that are broken, it isn't a resources problem. It's a leadership problem. I hope that, going forward, the incumbents will think about how they can provide the leadership that Ann Arbor deserves.
Marvin Face
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 10:08 p.m.
The secret identity of "David Cahill" seems to be safe for now.
Marvin Face
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 10:06 p.m.
7:1 margin? Dangit! I was SO off in my predictions!
bruno_uno
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 9:39 p.m.
what a waste of time...maybe conspiracy theorists would agree that lesko is actually a supporter of the mayor, i dont understand any real reason she thought she had any chance in winning.
Speechless
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 9:35 p.m.
Today's vote will NOT diminish citizen outrage over single-stream rowing.
Sterling Hayden
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 9:29 p.m.
@ Barb - When, as a political candidate, you trade in distortions of the truth, vague and contrarian appeals to populism, and a general lack of reason as regards policy, people will generally associate you with others who utilize the same approach. Ergo, the Palin/Tea Party/Lesko axis.
annarbor
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 9:09 p.m.
I wonder what excuse Lesko will use for losing in a landslide? Now, back to the business of the City...
Barb
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 9:03 p.m.
It's nice to see people being gracious winners by not resorting to unfavorable comparisons not based in reality (tea party, Palin, etc.). I just hope the incumbents have learned something in all this. I hope.
Laura Meisler
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 8:39 p.m.
I can see Russia from the Bell Tower.
modeltim
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 8:25 p.m.
Maybe the Ann Arbor tea party candidates can relocate to Alaska!
Roadman
Tue, Aug 3, 2010 : 8:19 p.m.
Looks like the voters did not warm up to Lesko and her antics.