Moorhead City Councilwoman Nancy Otto fought off three challengers to retain her 1st Ward seat in Tuesday’s election.

Four council seats, one in each of the city’s wards, were on local ballots, along with four School Board positions.

Otto won easily in the 1st Ward, receiving 537 votes, or 61.4 percent of the vote. Former city sanitation worker Bruce Highness was next with 167 votes. Case worker Alicia Rodriguez-Zavala followed with 133 votes, and retiree E.W. “Bud” Anderson, 38 votes.

In the 2nd Ward, former state legislator Diane Wray Williams took three-term Councilman Larry Nicholson’s seat, 480-318.

Retiring police lieutenant Dan Hunt defeated management consultant Mike Hulett 564-429 in the 3rd Ward.

In the 4th Ward, Councilman Greg Lemke, who ran unopposed, won re-election with 340 votes.

With only local races on the ballot, turnout was light, said City Clerk Kaye Buchholz. Snowy weather and the lack of a mayor’s race also kept turnout down, she said.

Only 3,028 votes were counted in the four wards, compared to 3,489 in 1999, the last year a city race without a mayor’s race was held, according to city figures.

In even-numbered years, when state and national elections are held, more residents make the trip to the ballot box, she said. For example, 15,665 people voted in Moorhead in 2000.

New council members will take office in January. They will receive $786 a month next year.

1st Ward

During the campaign, Otto, emphasized the development successes of her four-year tenure, including the addition of a hotel/conference center and demolition of the grain elevators.

“The fact that the people overwhelmingly chose to keep me in the seat means they’re very pleased with the progress we’ve been making, and they want to continue,” Otto said.

The office specialist for MeritCare cardiac rehab said she will continue working on projects bringing development downtown and revamping the city’s land-use plan.

Highness, owner of Bruce’s Lawn Services Inc., received 19.1 percent of the vote. He had called for stricter codes, including provisions to clean up vacant buildings and parks.

“I don’t know what I would have done differently,” he said of his campaign.

Rodriguez-Zavala said her addition to the council would bring a new, needed viewpoint from a Latina.

Though she received just 15.2 percent of the vote, she said her campaign made Otto try to seek the Hispanic vote, something she hadn’t done previously.

“I’m going to try again,” said Rodriguez-Zavala on the possibility of running again.

Anderson said he ran to protest the city’s wasteful ways and the condition of its streets. Two calls late Tuesday to Anderson were not answered.

2nd Ward

The 2nd Ward race pitted Nicholson, who extolled his part in bringing development to the city, against Wray Williams, who criticized his commitment to the council.

Wray Williams, who won 59.9 percent of the vote, said Nicholson missed too many meetings, didn’t support the Churches United for the Homeless shelter and wasn’t responsive enough to his constituents.

The retired director of Creative Care for Reaching Independence called for preserving housing in her ward

“I’m very excited about the potential,” said Wray Williams, who credited her win to her extensive door-knocking campaign. “The people have many issues, many concerns.”

Nicholson, a building services foreman at Minnesota State University Moorhead, had said he wanted to clean up property and build a veteran’s memorial.

“I had 12 great years, and I wish her (Wray Williams) the best of luck,” he said. He didn’t know if he would run again, he said.

3rd Ward

The 3rd Ward candidates differed largely in their approach to making decisions on issues.

Hunt, who earned 56.7 percent of the vote in the election’s closest race, said he would follow his constituents’ wishes, even against his own inclination.

But Hulett, a former city human resources director, member of the School Board and other community groups, said his experience would be his decision-making guide.

Bringing in more housing and businesses will be a council priority for Hunt, who was allowed to run because he’s retiring from the police force in January.

“I want the city to be a good city -- it’s a very clean city, a very nice city, and I want it to stay that way,” he said.

Hulett congratulated Hunt, but said he would not run for office in Moorhead again.

“Absolutely not -- my service to the city is done,” Hulett said. He also lost a 3rd Ward race last year to Brian Gramer, who did not run for re-election because he is moving out of his ward.

4th Ward

Lemke, who has served two special one-year terms, ran unopposed for his first full-term.

The Fargo police sergeant, 1608 19th St. S., who has focused on civil rights issues during his time in office, called for more housing said he would focus on bringing more housing and business development to his ward.

“I’m honored they’re giving me four more years to represent them,” he said.

Seventeen write-in votes also were cast in his ward.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Joy Anderson at (701) 241-5556