Mayor, aldermen to be elected in Tuesday voting|[6/06/05]

Published 12:00 am Monday, June 6, 2005

For three city candidates, Tuesday will end with the elation they have sought for months. For six others, it will be dejection.

The names of nine candidates will appear on ballots across the city for mayor and the two aldermen’s seats. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. with results being announced at City Hall Annex and on radio and television.

The weather forecast is calling for scattered showers and thunderstorms today and Tuesday.

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The four candidates seeking the $73,500-a-year job as mayor say they are ready and eager for Tuesday’s voting.

“Everybody is upbeat and excited about the community’s future and when you see all these people so excited it just makes you excited about the future,” said Mayor Laurence Leyens.

Leyens, 41, is an independent candidate seeking his second, four-year term in office. He is being challenged by the Democratic nominee, Warren County District 3 Supervisor Charles Selmon, 44; former Mayor Joe Loviza, 65, an independent candidate; and first-time candidate Shirley Smollen, 69, a Republican.

“We think everything is going well,” Selmon said. “We feel very confident. We’re just waiting for the race to be over with.”

Candidates have spent the last few days heading into the general election knocking on doors, at rallies and in church.

“I don’t have a lot of money backing me, but on the other hand I’ve run a good race,” Loviza said.

About 18,380 voters are registered in the city, but only about 23 percent turned out for the primary election four weeks ago and even fewer turned out for the runoff two weeks ago. About 8,280 people voted in the mayor’s election four years ago. That number was down from previous years when 9,734 voted in 1993 and 8,909 voted in 1997.

Advance voter turnout by absentee was close to that four years ago, about 362 ballots as of this morning.

Also on Tuesday’s ballots will be races in the North and South wards for the city’s two alderman posts.

Competing in the North Ward are Vickie Bailey, 37, and Tommie Rawlings, 42, both independents, and Democratic nominee District 2 Supervisor Michael Mayfield, 47, who beat incumbent Gertrude Young in the primary race.

In the South Ward, Democratic nominee Pam Johnson, 39, will challenge Beauman, 57, seeking his second term. Johnson was also the party nominee four years ago.