Voters reelected four City Council incumbents yesterday, while
denying spots on the council to three University students and an
alum.

Democrat Leigh Greden will be the only new face on the council.
Democrats Robert Johnson and Wendy Woods and Republicans Michael
Reid and Marcia Higgins successfully defended their seats.

Each of Ann Arbor’s five wards is represented by two
council members. Wards one and four include most of the campus
community.

In the 1st Ward, Democratic incumbent Robert Johnson won with 61
percent of the vote, defeating LSA senior Rick Lax and Rackham
student Rob Haug. Lax had 24 percent while Haug won 15 percent.

Johnson advocates regional urban planning and said he wants to
mediate issues between students and police.

“I want to facilitate interaction between student groups
and the (Ann Arbor) Police Department,” he said.

Lax, an arts writer for The Michigan Daily on leave, said his
campaign was a great learning experience.

“Maybe someday down the road you’ll see my name on a
ballot, but for now, I’m going to focus on being a
student,” Lax said. He ran in the election as an
independent.

Haug, a member of the Green Party, said he plans to stay
involved in community politics. “The main goal of this
campaign was not to win but to get the issues out in the open and
have the other candidates discuss them,” he said.

Both Haug and Lax said they will continue to reside in Ann
Arbor.

Republican incumbent Marcia Higgins was victorious over LSA
senior Dan Sheill, alum Scott Trudeau and independent Jon Kinsey in
the 4th Ward. Higgins had 52 percent of the vote, beating
Sheill’s 6 percent, Trudeau’s 30 percent and
Kinsey’s 12 percent.

Like other candidates who did not win a City Council position,
Trudeau thanked voters and volunteers who supported him.

“I encourage students to vote not only in presidential or
gubernatorial elections but also in local elections,” said
Trudeau, a member of the Green Party.

Sheill, a Libertarian, and Higgins could not be reached for
comment.

In the 2nd Ward, Republican incumbent Michael Reid won against
Democrat Amy Seetoo, 54 to 46 percent.

Reid was unavailable for comment.

With 73 percent of the vote, Democrat Leigh Greden triumphed in
the 3rd Ward over Libertarian Rich Birkett, with 14 percent, and
independent Donna Rose, with 12 percent.

Greden said he hoped students would take an interest in city
affairs.

“I want to encourage them to get more involved, whether
they register to vote in Ann Arbor, come to speak at City Council
meetings or call me directly at my office,” Greden said.

In ward five, incumbent Democrat Wendy Woods easily kept her
seat, defeating Libertarian Jason Kantz 75 percent to 11 percent.
Fourteen percent of the voters chose a write-in candidate, Adrianna
Buonarropi, the 2002 Green Party nominee for lieutenant
governor.

Woods’ campaign used many different means to inform and
contact the public, including going door to door to speak to voters
and mailing out flyers and other information to the people in her
ward.

“We set up a website so people could go and see my
positions on various issues, my accomplishments, and my
qualifications,” she said.

Woods added that her campaigning allowed her to establish a
“comfortable lead” early last night.