BRAINERD — Kara Terry is the top pick to represent Ward 1 on the Brainerd City Council after the Tuesday, Aug. 9, primary race.
Leonard Skillings came in second place Tuesday, with 114 votes to Terry’s 160. In third place was William “Jamie” Bieser, who already occupies the seat up for election.
Bieser was appointed to the City Council on a 5-1 vote in July after the resignation of Dave Pritschet. Terry got one vote for the seat. After not garnering any council votes to fill the vacancy, Skillings announced he would stop campaigning and instead give Bieser his support. But because he missed the window to withdraw from the race, his name still appeared on the primary ballot. Crow Wing County reported his name also can’t be withdrawn from the Nov. 8 general election ballot.
Neither Skillings nor Bieser were available for comment Tuesday, so whether Skillings decides to campaign for the general election is uncertain.
Terry, who serves as the Crow Wing County Community Services director, expressed her gratitude Tuesday night to all the voters.
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“I just want to thank everyone, whether they voted for me or not, who just got out to vote,” she said, noting her conversation with a neighbor on the way to the polls earlier in the day about the importance of being engaged and having a voice in the outcome.
She added a word of thanks to the election judges, as well, for their commitment to overseeing the process.
“I also want to thank those who trusted me enough to vote for me,” Terry said. “Gosh, with the results I am just truly humbled. And I look forward to getting out into our community and just learning more about my neighbors’ concerns and their hopes and all of that great stuff. And when I say ‘neighbors,’ I don’t just mean in my cul-de-sac. I mean throughout my ward.”Ward 1 covers the downtown area and southwest Brainerd.
THERESA BOURKE may be reached at theresa.bourke@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5860. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchTheresa .
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