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Election results

Incumbent falls in 4-way race

Newcomer Dan Hester joins returning City Council members Patricia Hartstein and Jimmy Johnson.

By ANNE LINDBERG
Published March 9, 2005

SEMINOLE - First-time candidate Dan Hester is Seminole's newest council member.

Hester will take his seat with returning council members Patricia L. Hartstein and Jimmy Johnson, who were re-elected Tuesday. Council member Pete Bengston, who had served since 2000, was defeated.

"That's great news," Hester said when told of his victory. "Oh, I'm excited. That's super. That's super. Just hearing it for the first time, I'm humbled, I really am, by the confidence the people of Seminole put in me."

Hester said he hoped the Lord would give him the wisdom to do the right thing while serving on the council.

Hartstein was thrilled, saying her re-election would give her a chance to help move the city ahead.

"I'm ecstatic about being re-elected," Hartstein said. "I'm appreciative of the voter confidence."

Johnson, at a victory party, was delighted.

"The people in Seminole still believe in me . . . and I am truly, truly thankful," Johnson said. "I'm very humbled, and I'm truly grateful for everything that has happened. . . . I will continue to serve the people of Seminole."

One of the biggest thrills, Johnson said, was the number of votes he received. For a race in which the three top vote-getters would be elected, Johnson far outstripped the others.

Johnson received 903 votes for 31 percent, according to records of Pinellas County Elections Supervisor Deborah Clark. Hartstein came in second with 734 votes. Hester was third, with 656. Bengston trailed with 598.

The freshly elected group will be the last to serve two-year terms. Voters also approved by a landslide 77.5 percent a change to the city charter to extend council terms to three years. The new rule will take effect at the next election.

Voters also gave landslide approval to five other housekeeping-style changes to the city charter:

A vice mayor will be elected at the second meeting in March each year. This also establishes a chain of command in case the mayor is away or incapacitated. The vice mayor is first in line, then the council member with the most seniority.

All council meetings will be held in public unless state law exempts them.

The city manager will develop and keep current an administrative code in accordance with council decisions.

Seminole's city election will be the second Tuesday in March. Any runoff will be held within 45 days of the election.

At least one member of the Charter Review Commission, which is formed every five years, must be a veteran of a previous commission if possible.

[Last modified March 9, 2005, 01:16:15]