Small Town News

Incumbents dominate Kyle votes

---

Mayor Lucy Johnson and two Kyle City Council incumbents turned back challengers aligned with the Tea Party movement in the May 14 municipal election.

Johnson won 514 votes (70.5 percent) to Graham Mendel's 215 votes (29.5 percent). In District 4, council member David Wilson won 245 votes (67.7 percent) to Ron Sherman's 117 votes (32.3 percent). In what turned out to be the closest race of the night, District 2 council member Becky Selbera won 81 votes (51.3 votes) to Jean Putnam's 77 votes (48.7 percent).

The unofficial results give Johnson a full three-year term as mayor, a job she won in a special election in February 2010. Speaking to supporters at a downtown Kyle restaurant, Johnson told the cheering crowd that the election results were a repudiation of injecting partisan politics into city elections.

"City council shouldn't be partisan. I believe for better or worse our opponents tried to make it a partisan race. Our opponents' supporters tried to make this a partisan race and that's not what a city election needs to be about. Obviously the people of Kyle did not find it appealing," Johnson said in an interview.

The mayor continued,"I am so proud of the people that campaigned for me, not on partisan issues, but on the things that matter to Kyle -roads and infrastructure and economic development that have absolutely nothing to do with whether you're a Republican or a Democrat or a Tea Party or a Green Party or whatever."

Mendel, Sherman and Putnam all cited respect for the U.S. Constitution in their candidacy announcement that focused on taxing and spending issues. They were all recruited and aided by GOP precinct chair James Clements who, for example, coordinated their media statements.

The election results appear to be a setback for a bloc of three council members who are frequently at odds with the council majority, especially on issues involving spending on infrastructure and capital improvement projects.



Copyright 2011 The Free Press, Buda, Texas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2011 The Free Press Buda, Texas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

More from The Free Press