It took two elections to get official results, but independent political newcomer Ryan Doyle has defeated incumbent Joe Luneau for a seat on the St. Albans City Council.
Residents in the City’s Ward 5 went to the polls Tuesday, giving Doyle 224 votes to Luneau’s 148. The special election came after a hand count of Town Meeting Day ballots showed Luneau lost to Doyle by just two votes.
When Luneau protested those results, a judge threw them out because she said there wasn’t sufficient oversight at the local level.
Some citizens filed a complaint with the Secretary of State, raising concerns about potentially illegal absentee ballots.
"The great news is that our community is more engaged than ever and we have a heightened awareness of just how important participation in the democratic process is," St. Albans City Mayor Liz Gamache said Tuesday. "From voters to candidates to election officials, we all have important roles to play in order to make democracy work."
Doyle is a recent college graduate. He unseated Luneau, a longtime city councilor in St. Albans.