Write-ins win in Peabody
Staff writer
Two write-in candidates beat the odds — and four opponents listed on the ballot — to win seats on Peabody City Council, a canvas by county commissioners confirmed Friday.
Bailey Penner with 145 votes and Andrew Rosine with 136 easily defeated Randy Dalke, 65; Beth Peter, 61; James Philpott, 43; and Jennifer Bush, 31.
County commissioner Jonah Gehring said he couldn’t remember a Marion County race in which two write-ins had beaten four candidates listed on ballots.
Commissioner Clarke Dirks, whose district includes Peabody, said Rosine and Penner’s organized write-in campaigns represented “grass root politics” at its finest.
As Dirks left commission chambers Friday, he appeared to call one of the write-ins to tell him the votes had been certified.
Not as successful was one other Peabody write-in: Mickey Mouse, whose name wasn’t even spelled correctly.
There was no question who was going to retain council seats in Marion. Incumbent Kevin Burkholder, with 263 votes, and Zach Collett, 205, ran without organized opposition.
Still, more than 30 write-in candidates received one to three votes. Eric Meyer had three. Braden Fahey, Steven Janzen, Clinton Jeffrey, Brandon Lange and Darvin Markley each had two.
Andy Griffith, Barney, Not Kevin, Mickey Mouse, and Be Better Vetting Police Chief each received a single write-in vote.
Marion County voter turnout was 18% with 3% voting early or by mail and 15% voting on Election Day. The number of people voting at the courthouse was 324.
In Marion, 14% of registered voters cast a ballot. In Hillsboro the turnout was 10%, but in Peabody it was 28%.