The polls are closed and the votes are in! Following the election yesterday, Emerson Valley has some new faces in City Hall (and one familiar face returning after some time away). Incumbent Anthony Faulk defeated Yolanda Perez in the mayoral race, retaining his position for a second term. He won by a significant margin, proving the people of Emerson Valley have a lot of faith in him and his vision for our town’s future.

Deborah Johnson made her triumphant return to City Hall after her departure from the City Council in 2015. Before that, she was elected to a City Council seat for two terms, starting in 2008. She chose not to run for reelection for personal reasons, but felt like she could do some good for our town by bringing her extensive experience to a relatively young City Council.

Incumbent Lynn Fitzgerald (Rep.) beat challenger Humphry Müller (Dem.) for the first City Council seat. Newcomer Craig Norton (Dem.) defeated incumbent John H. Thurston, Jr. (Rep.) to secure the second seat. This is Mrs. Fitzgerald’s second term on the City Council, while Mr. Thurston served only a single term. Mr. Norton’s victory shifts the City Council’s balance of power back to the Democrats, as the other two sitting Council members—James Winthrop and Aaron Hodge—are also both Democrats.

Mrs. Fitzgerald, a successful interior decorator, isn’t too worried about the party shift. “During my first term, the City Council was split evenly between Republicans and Democrats, but we had a Republican mayor,” she said. “I never had problems with any of my fellow Council members, and I believe they would say the same thing. First and foremost, our job is to look out for the people of this town, and that’s exactly what we’ve always tried to do.”

Mr. Norton, who works as a CPA in Carson Hills, is eager to begin working with the other City Council members come January. “I’m really excited by the prospect of taking part in the legislative process here,” he stated. “I also understand it’s a serious responsibility, so I’m gonna do my best to live up to those expectations.”

We would like to congratulate all the candidates on their victories and wish them well during their upcoming terms.

-Sarah Donovan, Editor & Local News, Emerson Valley Gazette