REGIONAL- Incumbents lost seats on both the Babbitt and Ely city councils, while ISD 696’s capital projects levy was narrowly approved by voters. Those were among the takeaways from Tuesday’s local elections.
Longtime incumbent Paul Kess lost his bid for another term on the Ely City Council, finishing fourth out of a pool of five candidates for three seats. Incumbent Jerome Debeltz managed to hang on to his council seat, finishing second with 1,056 votes. Emily Roose was the top vote-getter with 1,122, while John Lahtonen claimed the third opening with 973 votes. Kess received 907 votes, while Frederica Musgrave received 573.
Roose is currently chair of the city’s planning and zoning commission, while Lahtonen is Ely’s former police chief. Ely council member Ryan Cullen had opted not to seek re-election. Ely Mayor Heidi Omerza won her uncontested race with 1,570 votes.
In Babbitt, Andrea Zupancich topped Joe White in the race for mayor, with 515 votes to White’s 398. Incumbent Babbitt City Council members Glenn Anderson and Paul Hoheisel lost their seats to Duane Lossing and John Fitzpatrick. Lossing, who is stepping down as mayor, took 569 votes, while Fitzpatrick garnered 310. Terry Switajewski finished third with 239 votes, followed by Craig Warlof with 213, Hoheisel with 193, and Anderson with 151. 
In ISD 696, Ely School Board incumbents Tom Omerza and Hollee Coombe kept their uncontested seats with 2,329 and 1,982 votes respectively. The school board had three empty seats up for grabs in this election with only the two incumbents running. Erin Moravitz launched a write-in campaign for the third seat, which she won with 597 votes.
The voters of ISD 696 passed the ballot measure for a 10-year capital project levy of $350,000/year with a vote of 1,623 in favor versus 1,447 opposed.
In Winton, incumbent Marlene Zorman won her reelection as mayor with 86 votes. Both incumbent city council members, Susan Scufsa and Kathy Edman, will keep their seats with 75 and 74 votes respectively. All three ran uncontested races.
In Morse Township, Rita Fideldy won an uncontested election for town supervisor seat C with 287 votes and Gina Vickerman won an uncontested election for town clerk.