Keep refreshing your browser for updates on tonight’s election:
7:50 p.m.
I was absolutely humbled by the support that I received today at the polls. This was the fourth time that I have stood outside and met voters at the polls, and this time was like no other. I am so grateful to you for giving me your thumbs ups, smiles and encouraging words.
Voter turnout was very, very high today. By some estimates, it might reach levels of a presidential year. I’m still trying to figure out how that will affect the city races.
Here is my perspective on the results tonight:
If I fail, I want it to be because God didn’t give me the tools to do it, and therefore, it’s not meant to be. I do not want it to be because I did not properly utilize the tools God did give me (i.e. by not working hard). With that said, I worked quite hard in this campaign. It’s all in God’s hands.
Absentees will likely be posted within 30 minutes.
8:05 p.m.
Below are the absentee results. Commentary coming.
City Of Stow Mayor
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 0 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Sara L. Drew . . . . . . . . . 749 58.65
Scott E. Buck . . . . . . . . . 528 41.35
City Of Stow Director Of Finance
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 0 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
John M. Baranek . . . . . . . . 876 100.00
City Of Stow Director Of Law
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 0 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Brian A. Reali. . . . . . . . . 881 100.00
City Of Stow Council At Large
(Vote For Not More Than ) 3
(WITH 0 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
John Pribonic . . . . . . . . . 668 22.04
Mike Rasor . . . . . . . . . . 643 21.21
Brian D'Antonio . . . . . . . . 531 17.52
Denise Tonelli. . . . . . . . . 507 16.73
Bob Adaska . . . . . . . . . . 460 15.18
Daniel Mazzola. . . . . . . . . 222 7.32
City Of Stow Ward 1 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 0 OF 7 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Matt Riehl . . . . . . . . . . 272 74.73
David Licate . . . . . . . . . 92 25.27
City Of Stow Ward 2 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 0 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Jim Costello . . . . . . . . . 189 65.85
Peter A. Ricchiuti . . . . . . . 98 34.15
City Of Stow Ward 3 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 0 OF 7 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Annie Hanson . . . . . . . . . 105 50.72
Brian Lowdermilk . . . . . . . . 102 49.28
City Of Stow Ward 4 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 0 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Mary E. Bednar. . . . . . . . . 183 62.03
Joseph P. Hickin . . . . . . . . 112 37.97
8:15 p.m.
I’m a little disappointed by absentee totals, but only inasmuch as it indicates possibly what might lie ahead with the live voters. Buck does not have an insurmountable gap by any means.
I have heard preliminary results from five precincts of live voting, and Buck is leading in those precincts.
Mayor, Ward 3 and the final At-Large spot are the races to watch.
9:20 p.m.
For those of you how have asked what’s the worst part of campaigning, it’s yard signs. But the second worst part is waiting this hour after absentees are counted. I think every candidate would agree with that.
9:25 p.m.
With six precincts (of 30) counted…
City Of Stow Mayor
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 6 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED 20%)
Sara L. Drew . . . . . . . . . 2,304 57.99
Scott E. Buck . . . . . . . . . 1,669 42.01
City Of Stow Director Of Finance
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 6 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED 20%)
John M. Baranek . . . . . . . . 2,597 100.00
City Of Stow Director Of Law
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 6 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED 20%)
Brian A. Reali. . . . . . . . . 2,616 100.00
City Of Stow Council At Large
(Vote For Not More Than ) 3
(WITH 6 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED 20%)
John Pribonic . . . . . . . . . 2,067 23.57
Mike Rasor . . . . . . . . . . 1,864 21.25
Brian D'Antonio . . . . . . . . 1,578 17.99
Denise Tonelli. . . . . . . . . 1,337 15.25
Bob Adaska . . . . . . . . . . 1,292 14.73
Daniel Mazzola. . . . . . . . . 632 7.21
City Of Stow Ward 1 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 2 OF 7 PRECINCTS COUNTED 28.57%)
Matt Riehl . . . . . . . . . . 827 66.86
David Licate . . . . . . . . . 410 33.14
City Of Stow Ward 2 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 3 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED 37.50%)
Jim Costello . . . . . . . . . 869 67.16
Peter A. Ricchiuti . . . . . . . 425 32.84
City Of Stow Ward 3 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 0 OF 7 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Annie Hanson . . . . . . . . . 105 50.72
Brian Lowdermilk . . . . . . . . 102 49.28
City Of Stow Ward 4 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 1 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED 12.50%)
Mary E. Bednar. . . . . . . . . 319 57.58
Joseph P. Hickin . . . . . . . . 235 42.42
9:41 p.m.
With 23 precincts counted (of 30)…
City Of Stow Mayor
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 23 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED 76.67%)
Sara L. Drew . . . . . . . . . 5,716 56.66
Scott E. Buck . . . . . . . . . 4,373 43.34
City Of Stow Director Of Finance
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 23 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED 76.67%)
John M. Baranek . . . . . . . . 6,642 100.00
City Of Stow Director Of Law
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 23 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED 76.67%)
Brian A. Reali. . . . . . . . . 6,685 100.00
City Of Stow Council At Large
(Vote For Not More Than ) 3
(WITH 23 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED 76.67%)
John Pribonic . . . . . . . . . 5,165 23.12
Mike Rasor . . . . . . . . . . 4,717 21.11
Brian D'Antonio . . . . . . . . 3,856 17.26
Bob Adaska . . . . . . . . . . 3,542 15.85
Denise Tonelli. . . . . . . . . 3,352 15.00
Daniel Mazzola. . . . . . . . . 1,709 7.65
City Of Stow Ward 1 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 5 OF 7 PRECINCTS COUNTED 71.43%)
Matt Riehl . . . . . . . . . . 1,627 68.30
David Licate . . . . . . . . . 755 31.70
City Of Stow Ward 2 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 6 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED 75%)
Jim Costello . . . . . . . . . 1,467 66.89
Peter A. Ricchiuti . . . . . . . 726 33.11
City Of Stow Ward 3 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 5 OF 7 PRECINCTS COUNTED 71.43%)
Brian Lowdermilk . . . . . . . . 841 51.22
Annie Hanson . . . . . . . . . 801 48.78
City Of Stow Ward 4 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 7 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED 87.50%)
Mary E. Bednar. . . . . . . . . 1,312 55.41
Joseph P. Hickin . . . . . . . . 1,056 44.59
9:51 p.m.
With 27 precincts counted (of 30)…
City Of Stow Mayor
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 27 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED 90%)
Sara L. Drew . . . . . . . . . 6,412 56.26
Scott E. Buck . . . . . . . . . 4,986 43.74
City Of Stow Director Of Finance
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 27 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED 90%)
John M. Baranek . . . . . . . . 7,525 100.00
City Of Stow Director Of Law
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 27 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED 90%)
Brian A. Reali. . . . . . . . . 7,545 100.00
City Of Stow Council At Large
(Vote For Not More Than ) 3
(WITH 27 OF 30 PRECINCTS COUNTED 90%)
John Pribonic . . . . . . . . . 5,881 23.28
Mike Rasor . . . . . . . . . . 5,314 21.04
Brian D'Antonio . . . . . . . . 4,389 17.37
Bob Adaska . . . . . . . . . . 3,955 15.66
Denise Tonelli. . . . . . . . . 3,805 15.06
Daniel Mazzola. . . . . . . . . 1,918 7.59
City Of Stow Ward 1 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 6 OF 7 PRECINCTS COUNTED 85.71%)
Matt Riehl . . . . . . . . . . 1,845 68.95
David Licate . . . . . . . . . 831 31.05
City Of Stow Ward 2 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 7 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED 87.50%)
Jim Costello . . . . . . . . . 1,625 66.65
Peter A. Ricchiuti . . . . . . . 813 33.35
City Of Stow Ward 3 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 7 OF 7 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Brian Lowdermilk . . . . . . . . 1,131 50.74
Annie Hanson . . . . . . . . . 1,098 49.26
City Of Stow Ward 4 Council
(Vote For Not More Than ) 1
(WITH 7 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED 87.50%)
Mary E. Bednar. . . . . . . . . 1,312 55.41
Joseph P. Hickin . . . . . . . . 1,056 44.59
10:25 p.m.
Thank you. I am so humbled by the amount of support. To fathom having more than 5,000 people put trust in me … it’s not something I can easily grasp.
A few of the races tonight did not go the way I wanted. The large turnout, in my opinion, turned a few races into a name recognition game. But we are still going to move this city forward. I pledge that to you. Don’t be down on these results. I will fight harder than before to ensure this city balances its budget and adequately funds the roads and police department.
Congratulations to the other winners, including Brian Lowdermilk and Brian D’Antonio, who were elected for the first time. I remember the euphoria of that feeling. You guys deserve it.
Congratulations are also due to Sara Drew, who had a superb performance. As you can tell from my prior posts, I did not see that coming. Regardless, she earned it. I’m willing to wipe the slate clean and work toward with the new administration on a solution to our budget issues.
Running a campaign is grueling. I want to tip my cap to those candidates who did not make it. Joe Hickin and Scott Buck, in particular, are two of the finest human beings I know. They are honest and big-hearted. I hope we have not seen the last of either of them.
Final results are not in yet, but I think all of the doubt has been removed. I’ll post the final results when they come in.