Incumbents win reelection in 3rd Ward, At-Large races

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Mayor Virg Bernero has his frustrationswith the Council, but voters gave the three incumbents running forre-election Tuesday four more years.

Bernero’s arch-nemesis, Carol Wood, wonher fourth term by taking first in the At-Large race with 27 percent,slightly better than incumbent Derrick Quinney, who won with 26 percent.

Both incumbents were endorsed byorganized labor and withstood negative campaigning by the Lansingchamber and other interests hoping to elect “progressive” candidatesRory Neuner and Tom Stewart. Neuner won 24 percent, Stewart 22 percent.

Wood said the results validate her assomeone who listens and responds to constituents. Wood said she is nota “rubberstamp” for Bernero, but also not the obstructionist she wasportrayed as.

“The rhetoric and the robo calls thatwas out there — the people saw through all of that and made sure I’mstill sitting on Council,” she said at Sir Pizza in Old Town.

Quinney, an AFL-CIO official, won hissecond term despite “crap from the chamber” that questioned whether hewas a political ladder climber and a shill for medical marijuanainterests, among other things. He took criticism for being a “no” voteon some Bernero initiatives and then fired back against the mayor inhis own ads.

“The tactics were so out of bounds thatI was getting calls from people who were frustrated with them,” Quinneysaid. “I think it worked against them.”

“I’ve told the mayor that there aregoing to be some issues where we don’t agree,” he said. “I said that weneed to get past that and move on to the next thing. We need to look ateach issue by its individual merits.”

Neuner, the 31-year-old coordinator forthe Transportation for Michigan coalition, said that while she wasunsuccessful, she and Stewart received nearly a quarter of the voteagainst a pair of incumbents, which is significant.

“I think there is an appetite for new leadership in this city,” she said. “That said, it is hard to beat an incumbent.”

Both Neuner and Stewart were first-timecandidates. Stewart, a relatively new resident in the Westsideneighborhood, is the founder and CEO of Common Wealth Enterprises.

In the 3rd Ward, incumbent and CouncilPresident A’Lynne Robinson won her second term by defeatingunion-backed Jason Wilkes 55 to 45 percent. Robinson won her first termon the back of support from Wood, but she followed her own path in thesecond two years of her term.

As a result, Wilkes was Wood’s candidatein 2011. The first-time candidate even held his Election Night partywith Wood at Sir Pizza in Old Town.

Speaking from her home Tuesday night,Robinson said she was loyal to those who helped her win her firstelection, but after two years in office she conceded that she did voteher mind from her own study of issues. Without fanfare, she did go herown way.

Robinson said she didn’t take her firstfour years in office for granted. She said she always engaged herconstituents, whether it was in the churches or other functions. 

Wilkes said he was happy with the support that he did receive. 

“Unfortunately for some, I’m not going away,” he said.



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