Lakewood Ward 5 Election Recount: Janssen Wins By 11 Votes

LAKEWOOD, CO — Votes have been tallied yet again for Lakewood's Ward 5 race, which was so tight that an automatic recount was ordered.

Candidate Mary Janssen has officially won the election against Tom Keefe by only 11 votes.

Two seats will be filled in Ward 5 — candidate Wendi Strom pulled ahead in the race by 647 votes.

The recount began Monday, and the official results were counted by Tuesday morning.

Four candidates campaigned for two seats in Ward 5: Strom, Janssen, Keefe and Michael Gunstanson.

Strom's campaign platform included public safety, small business investment and sustainability. She has spent more than two decades working in the financial services sector, and has spent the past 12 years working as a certified financial planner.

"I've been helping people be good stewards with their finances for 20 years," Strom's Patch profile read.

"I have budget experience and look forward to using this to make sure the city is in the best place possible to continue to keep our parks clean and safe, offer the programs and services our community enjoys and relies on, and has the flexibility to implement other programs that can advance us in areas like sustainability and public safety."

The majority of candidates said that one of their top goals is to gather as much feedback as possible from constituents; however, Janssen pledged to create a 'Ward 5 Citizen Cabinet' that would include residents from each of the district's neighborhoods.

"It's about finding solutions that likely won't 100% please everyone but we still end up making Lakewood even better than now," Janssen's profile read.

Janssen, who has owned a photography studio in Ward 5 for the past 35 years, said she's dedicated to improving capital maintenance, strengthening neighborhood partnerships with local businesses and reducing crime in Lakewood.

"We must reduce the double-digit increase in crime rates," she said.