Logan still “digs Doug”
So, the ball keeps rolling.
Mayor Douglas Thompson was reelected Tuesday night over opponent and former mayor Darla D. Clark 4,792 votes to Clark’s 2,059. Except for district 9, in which Thompson tied Clark with 92 votes each, Thompson was victorious in every district, including Clark’s.
District 3 was the first district to report votes and upon hearing he had won, Thompson entered the council chambers grinning. He only had one regret about the night.
“I really wanted to share this with my sons,” he said.
In Monday’s candidate forum in the Sunburst Lounge, Thompson quoted the mission statement of Logan when he said he planned to make Logan a place people can call home.
“I’ve tried to make Logan as nice a place as possible,” he said.
In the race for seats on the municipal council, Stephen Thompson’s 3,665 votes garnered him Seat No. 4 for another four-year term over Merrill Russell’s 3,159 votes. For Council Seat No. 5, Tami Pyfer was elected over Gina Wickwar 3,798 votes to 3,080.
After being defeated four years ago by Janice Pearce, this is Pyfer’s first opportunity to serve on the municipal council.
“I’m very nervous,” Pyfer said. “This is a huge responsibility. I actually came prepared to lose.”
Wickwar said she could have altered her election strategy.
“I didn’t do my job well enough to tell everyone to vote for me,” she said.
Wickwar plans to continue her writing.
Pearce, who will be leaving the council after serving four four-year terms said she wanted to let someone with fresh ideas and lots of energy take over.
“We had two very good candidates,” she said. “I think Tami will do a very good job.”
Steve said he came to the vote-counting at City Hall very nervously.
“I’m glad it’s over,” he said. “There were nights when my wife and I would wake up stone cold at four in the morning wondering what we were going to do.”
Steve said the primary election was close and his strategy for the final election was to wait until two weeks before the final election before he let all of his resources lose. He said he is excited to work with the people, administration and the mayor, despite the public’s opinion of his relationship with the mayor.
“Some people think Doug and I get into it to drive ratings up on cable TV,” he said, laughing.
Steve said he really does get along with the mayor.
This election cycle’s turnout was higher than two years ago when 5,130 people (24.3 percent) voted to elect Karen Borg, Tom Kerr and Alan Allred for Seat Nos. 1, 2 and 3.
However, the turnout was lower than the mayoral election of 1997 when 7,525 people (30 percent) elected Doug over Clark.
All candidates won in their home districts except for Clark.
District 13, which is one of the most easternmost districts and Doug’s home district turned out the highest percentage of votes with 58 percent. It tied with District 21.
District 23, comprised mostly of student housing turned out the lowest percentage at 6 percent.
Mayor Doug Thompson was reelected Tuesday night 4,792 votes to his opponent Darla D. Clark´s 2,059 votes. (Zak Larsen )