If anyone says they knew exactly how the Nov. 8 Marathon City Council election would end, be skeptical.
The largest city election since Marathon’s incorporation in 1999 did not disappoint, as the hotly-contested field of nine candidates was whittled to four barely an hour after polls closed on Tuesday night.
Topping the field with 1,671 votes was current planning commission chair Lynn Landry, followed closely by current councilwoman Robyn Still at 1,602 and Jeff Smith at 1,500. A tight battle for the fourth open seat saw Kenny Matlock (1,246 votes) emerge victorious over runners-up Mike Leonard and Kevin Macaulay. A total of 138 votes separated fourth through sixth place.
The result comes at the conclusion of an extended issue-focused campaign by the large field of candidates as Marathon continues to navigate critical lawsuits surrounding building permits and affordable housing allocations.
“I’m so looking forward to working with the new council,” said Still at a joint victory celebration with Landry at the Marathon Elks Lodge, where the two were soon joined by Smith and Matlock. “We have great things that we need to do. … Just remember: I’m approachable. Come to me if you have questions or comments; I need to hear that. If we don’t hear from you, we can’t work with you. Let’s have a great upcoming year.”
“It’s a very humbling experience to have such support in this community,” said Landry. “I’m looking forward to doing the work now. Campaigning was interesting for me, and now I’m ready to serve this community.”
Per the referendum passed in August’s primary election to avoid excessive single-election turnover on the city council, Landry, Still and Smith will serve three-year terms on the council, while Matlock will serve for two years to line up with the expiration of current councilman Luis Gonzalez’s term.
With 34,095 ballots cast out of 55,183 registered voters, Monroe County as a whole welcomed a relatively strong voter turnout for a non-presidential election at 61.79%.
