local politics
Washam’s lead narrows to 5 votes in mayoral race; recount requested
Nov. 17. [UPDATE 3 PM] By Dave Yochum. After outstanding absentee ballots and provisional ballots were counted last night, Mayor Woody Washam’s lead over challenger Denis Bilodeau has dwindled from 13 votes to five. Bilodeau, a town commissioner, has asked for a recount. NEW: The Meck Board of Elections has completed the recount. Washam has […]
Analysis: Why the race for mayor of Cornelius appears to be going down to the wire
Nov. 13. [Analysis] By Dave Vieser. It was almost 10:45 pm on Election Night when the last of the unofficial results came in from the Mecklenburg Board of Elections showing incumbent Woody Washam with a 13-vote lead over challenger Denis Bilodeau. Did anyone think it would be this close? While residents await the final official […]
With 13 votes separating mayoral contenders, it ain’t over til it’s over
Nov.9. By Dave Yochum. It turns out the election results from Tuesday night are unofficial, which matters little unless a contest is close—on the order of 1 percent difference between winner and loser. That’s apparently the case with the mayoral contest in Cornelius, with Woody Washam ahead of Denis Bilodeau by only 13 votes out […]
Cornelius local election roundup
Town Board There will more change again on the Cornelius Town Board starting in December as a result of Tuesday’s election. Scott Higgins, Robert Carney and Susan Johnson will join incumbents Michael Osborne and Todd Sansbury on the five-member board. Two years ago, the board was literally turned upside down with an all new cast. […]
Washam edges past Bilodeau, by 13 votes
Nov. 7. By Dave Vieser. Cornelius Mayor Woody Washam bested challenger Denis Bilodeau by 13 votes with all four town precincts reporting. Washam captured 2767 votes while Bilodeau had 2754 votes, a difference of less than 1 percent. Bilodeau put on a strong showing. The town commissioner called Washam to congratulate him Tuesday night. In […]
Clark Wins Huntersville Mayoral Race
Nov. 7. By Mark Washburn. In a race dominated by vexing issues of growth, public safety and clogged traffic, former Democratic lawmaker Christy Clark cruised to victory as Huntersville’s next mayor Tuesday while two incumbents were ousted from the town commission. Clark, a Huntersville teacher, won with 48 percent of the vote over Dan Boone, […]
Early voting results in Cornelius: It’s neck and neck for mayor
Nov. 7. By Dave Vieser. Early voting results show challenger Denis Bilodeau with a razor thin lead over Cornelius Mayor Woody Washam while the term limit referendum is currently going down to a 60% to 40% defeat. CMS school bonds are heading for approval with a two to one margin. . On the town board, […]
Election 2023: Will you vote yes or no on term-length proposal?
Nov. 7. Voters in Cornelius will decide today if term limits for mayor and commissioners, should be expanded to a staggered four-year format or remain at the current two years. The issue arose early in 2023 when some members of the town board questioned whether the longer terms are more advantageous. Ultimately, they decided to […]
Con: 4-year-terms
[Opinion] By Kurt Naas. This election Cornelius citizens will be asked to double the terms of town commissioners from two years to four. They should say NO for several reasons. First, four year terms would insulate local government from the voter. But local government is close government; it affects your daily life more than what […]
Election Day: Polls are open until 7:30 pm
Nov. 7. It’s a perfect day for voting, with sunny skies and temps headed to the upper 70s. At 6:30 am, when polls opened, there were more candidates than voters at Precinct 242/Waterfront Hall in Jetton Park. There are four polling places in Cornelius Election Day: —Community in Christ Lutheran Church, 7621 Norman Island Drive […]
