HALLOWELL — It is a Wynne-win situation in the race for Ward 5 Councilor.
Political newcomer Patrick Wynne defeated the longest-tenured city councilor, Lisa Harvey-McPherson, on Tuesday. Wynne received 143 votes and Harvey-McPherson received 106 votes.
The winners of three more seats also were confirmed Tuesday. Former Ward 1 Councilor Maureen Aucoin won an unopposed race for a councilor-at-large seat, and Ward 3 Councilor Kara Walker retained her seat in another unopposed race. Current Ward 1 Councilor Kate Dufour, who did not take out papers for the election, retained her seat with 11 write-in votes.
Wynne was running for a political position for the first time. The father of three, who serves as a firefighter and paramedic for Augusta Fire and Rescue, was outside Hall-Dale Elementary School greeting voters on Tuesday afternoon.
“Obviously I was happy and at the same time a little daunted,” Wynne said Wednesday of his reaction to results. “There’s a lot of work ahead of me.”
In September, Wynne said he would like to expand service of the Kennebec Explorer bus. He also advocated for more “soft benefits” for municipal workers.
On Wednesday, he said one of the first projects Wynne will tackle when he is inaugurated in January will be the halted sidewalkin front of the Lucky Garden.
“I would like to see the sidewalk,” he said. “I think that’s a missing part of the (Kennebec River Rail Trail).”
Wynne also said he was thankful for Harvey-McPherson’s service to the city and her genuine intent to do what she thought was best.
Harvey-McPherson said Wednesday that serving on the council for eight years, with her term running out in January, was “an honor.”
“I have had the honor of serving Ward 5 and the city for eight years,” she said. “I was thinking about all the transformation I’ve been a part of and I was proud of my service.”
Wynne put up signs — painted with his children, who range from infants to toddlers, at the suggestion of a friend to gain name recognition in the ward — along roadways in Ward 5 shortly before the election.
Harvey-McPherson said that she did not put up signs in retaliation because she thought “a competitive sign campaign” was not good for the ward. She noted that she wants to help Wynne transition seamlessly into the position and credited him with a well-run campaign.
Harvey-McPherson did not hint at running for another municipal position in the future, but said she is active in state politics through her role as vice president of government relations at Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems.
Maureen Aucoin, who was Ward 1 councilor until she moved to Ward 4 in September, ran unopposed for a councilor-at-large seat vacated by Lynn Irish. Aucoin received 1,244 votes.
Aucoin said in September that her responsibilities as a councilor-at-large are no different from being a ward councilor, but the position has added pressure of representing the entire city.
Irish said in September that she was not running for another term to focus on running her downtown business, Whipper Snappers Fine Fabrics.
While no candidates returned nomination papers to run for Ward 1 councilor, Dufour, who relieved Aucoin when she stepped down from the position, declared herself a write-in candidate in October. Dufour was one of two people who got more than one write-in vote, the other being Joel Johnson. Johnson received four votes.
Incumbent Ward 3 Kara Walker, who was inaugurated in January 2017, ran unopposed and got 314 votes.
In total, 1,498 ballots were cast in Hallowell.
The other three seats on the council are occupied Councilor-at-Large George Lapointe, Ward 2 Councilor Michael Frett and Ward 4 Councilor Diano Circo.
Mayor Mark Walker said Tuesday that the current City Council will serve until Jan. 2, when a special meeting will convene at which the new councilors will be inaugurated. The first meeting of the new council is scheduled for Jan. 7.
Sam Shepherd — 621-5666
Twitter: @SamShepME
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