Recordpub.com - Fiala beats Hawksley by 2 votes: Narrow win in Kent race means recount

By Matt Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

The closest mayoral race in Kent nearly 50 years came down to two votes Tuesday as independent Jerry Fiala beat Councilman Rick Hawksley.

Fiala received 2,013 votes and Hawksley earned 2,011, according to complete but unofficial results from the Portage County Board of Elections.

Fiala said he was stunned at how narrow his margin of victory appeared to be.

“I’m overwhelmed with it,” he said. “We ran a good campaign and we were honest with the people.”

Hawksley, a Democrat, said he expected to be on the phone this morning trying to determine what the protocol is for an automatic recount to see if the Kent mayor’s race — and its two-vote margin — qualifies.

“Whether there will be a recount or not, I don’t know what the judgment will be,” Hawksley said.

Tuesday’s results include absentee ballots, but the tally does not include provisional ballots. As of Tuesday night, 618 provisional ballots across Portage County were not yet counted.

In the other citywide contest, voters returned Democrats Michael DeLeone and Robin Turner to at-large positions on City Council. Newcomer Erik Valenta, an independent, won the third seat.

DeLeone received 2,489 votes, Turner received 2,108 votes and Valenta received 1,737, according to complete but unofficial results from the Portage County Board of Elections. Democrat Vic Hart received 1,468 votes, and Drew Smith, 737.

The vote in the mayor’s race was the narrowest in that contest since 1961, when Mayor Redmond Greer tied with Robert Byrne in a recount. Greer won a second term by the toss of a coin.

DeLeone said he expected the mayor’s race to be close.

“But I didn’t know it was going to be 50-50,” he said.

To qualify for an automatic recount, the margin has to be within half of 1 percent of the total vote for that office. As an example, if 1,000 votes are cast, then the margin would have to be less than five votes. Whether a recount will take place will not be decided until the final vote count is certified by the elections board Nov. 24.

20.	Posted by BostonTeaParty November 4, 2009
	Imagine my glee this AM, when a co-worker told me the headlines in today's RC regarding the Kent mayoral race. While there is a chance that the results will not hold up after the provisional ballots are counted, I would hope that Rick will look at this defeat as a teachable moment. Rick: other people have opinions and thoughts that are just as valid as yours; other people have a vision for this city that may be different than yours, but that doesn't make it wrong; and contrary to what you may think, other people like this city as much as you,yet cannot continue to be threatened with their taxes being raised while being furloughed or laid off, and at the same time reading that city employees get a 3% raise, etc. etc. You need to LISTEN to your constituency and not just to the sound of your own voice. You need to be more in touch with the people and not come across as knowing everything and intimating that all of the rest of us are either stupid or have nothing valid to offer. Congratulations to Jerry Fiala. And if (sadly) the race results do not hold up after the provisional ballots get counted, may Rick have had one of those "aha" moments where he comes to the realization that he has the capacity to be a better listener, and maybe even a better person, because of his defeat.