Boggs denies bid for 3rd term

Portland and Dunkirk both decided to go in a different direction.

Jay County’s mayors were ousted in Tuesday’s municipal election,

with John Boggs and Jack Robbins each earning 58 percent of the vote in their wins.

Boggs, a Republican, denied Democrat Randy Geesaman a third term as Portland’s mayor.

Robbins, a Democrat, defeated Republican incumbent Gene Ritter to

continue a decades-long streak of Dunkirk mayors being limited to a single term.

While other Republicans gathered at John Jay Center for Learning clapped and cheered as results came in precinct by precinct, Boggs stayed quiet. It wasn’t until supporters convinced him with one precinct remaining that his lead was too large to overcome that he finally let some emotion seep through.

That emotion? Relief.

“I just wanted it so much,” he said. “I put my heart into this and I really worked hard at it.”

“I’m relieved. I’m excited, but I’m actually surprised how calm I am,” he added. “There’s a lot of stuff to do, and now I’ve got to sit down and figure out what’s first, what’s second, line up all my ducks and start knocking them down.

“It’s a job. I won a contest and that’s exciting, but now I get the job.”

Democrats, who met in the conference room at Holiday Inn Express to listen to election results, were subdued after the numbers from the first precinct were announced. That tally was 143 votes for Boggs and 103 for Geesaman.

Supporters offered condolences to the mayor as each of the other four precincts also fell in his opponent’s favor.

Geesaman became the second consecutive Portland mayor to fall short in a bid for a third term. He defeated Republican Bruce Hosier in his attempt at a third term in 2011.

Final vote totals showed Boggs with 677 (57.9 percent) and Geesaman with 493.

“It’s disappointing, but I’m a big believer in, if the voters speak then that’s the way it should be,” Geesaman said. “I can look back on the eight years and say, you know, I think we accomplished a lot.”

When the results were finalized, Geesaman made the short drive to John Jay to congratulate Boggs in person. As he had prior to the election, Geesaman told Boggs he would do everything he can to help with the transition process.

Looking ahead to his new job, Boggs said he will be focused on results.

“I want to get things done,” he said. “I want to get a lot of people in place and then manage those people. I’ve always done well when I’ve had a group of people to manage. And the next eight weeks I want to spend getting the people in place to get the job done.

“I’m just very grateful to have the job. I’m looking forward to it. I love this community and I want to make sure it gets the best leadership I can give it.”

Boggs also addressed his health, which became a campaign issue after he suffered a mini stroke in early August followed by another in September. He said it will take a few months, but he is expected to make a full recovery.

In addition to a new mayor, Portland will also have three new city council members.

Independent Mike Aker scored a narrow victory over incumbent Democrat Judy Hedges, who took over the District 2 seat following her husband Mark’s death in January 2017. Aker picked up 134 votes to outpace Hedges by 13.

In District 1, Republican Matt Goldsworthy posted a 22-vote victory over Democrat Dave Cramer, 129-107. The candidates were seeking to take over the role held by Republican Bill Gibson, who chose not to run again after 20 years in office.

Republican incumbent Janet Powers easily won a three-way race for two at-large seats on city council, outpacing a pair of Democratic challengers by more than 100 votes with 717. Dave Golden earned the other seat by taking second place with 597 votes, while Tyler Newell was third with 479. (The other incumbent, Judy Aker, chose not to seek a fifth term.)

Uncontested in their bids for re-election Tuesday in Portland were clerk-treasurer Lori Aker Ferguson (D), city court Judge Donald Gillespie (R) and council members Michele Brewster (R – District 3), Don Gillespie (R – District 4) and Kent McClung (R – District 5).

Total voter turnout in Jay County was 1,822, or 32.5 percent of eligible registered voters. Just over a third of those — 619 — cast their ballots during early voting over the course of the last month.