Recount Produces A Tie For Final Vernon Town Council Spot

VERNON, CT — A vote recount staged Thursday for the Vernon Town Council race ended up in a tie for the 12th and final spot and another runoff is being planned to determine who it will be.

Republican incumbent Bill Campbell and Democrat Bill Dauphin both wound up with 2,693 votes after the recount. The recount added six votes to Dauphin's total and added four to Campbell's, wiping out Campbell's original two-vote win.

Local election officials said that, in past years, a coin flip could be used to determine the winner, but they are now interpreting statues as requiring the election to be "adjourned," in anticipation of a two-candidate runoff in about three weeks time.

All four polling places must be open with a full-staffing contingent, per statute, at a cost that will exceed $10,000, election officials said.

As Dauphin and Campbell prepare to battle it out, here's what the council makeup looks like for now with Laura Bush being the top vote-getter:

Republicans:

1. Michael Wendus
2. Andrew Tedford
3. Jim Tedford
4. Julie Clay
5. Laura Bush
6. Brian Motola

Democrats:

1. Maryann Levesque
2. Phyllis Winkler
3. Terilyn Rogers
4. Laurie Abernathy
5. Jesse Schoolnik

Here is how the recount turned out:

Democratic Party

Maryann Levesque

• Original count: 2,969
• Recount: 2,971

Phyllis Winkler

• Original count: 2,995
• Recount: 3,002

Terilynn Rogers

• Original count: 2,734
• Recount: 2,735

Ole Kushner Hermanson

• Original count: 2,532
• Recount: 2,535

Bill Dauphin

• Original count: 2,687
• Recount: 2,693

Laurie Abernathy

• Original count: 2,705
• Recount: 2,708

Zozan Antar

• Original count: 2,557
• Recount: 2,560

Jesse Schoolnik

• Original count: 2,758
• Recount: 2,760

Republican Party

John B. O'Connell

• Original count: 2,613
• Recount: 2,615

Bill Campbell

• Original count: 2,689
• Recount: 2,693

Brian R. Motola

• Original count: 2,830
• Recount: 2,835

Laura B. Bush

• Original count: 3,031
• Recount: 3,035

Julie Clay

• Original count: 2,780
• Recount: 2,782

Jim Tedford

• Original count: 2,907
• Recount: 2,914

Andrew J. Tedford

• Original count: 2,776
• Recount: 2,780

Micheel D. Wendus

• Original count: 2,743
• Recount: 2,750