LACONIA — Voters in Ward 5 approved of the job Steven Bogert has been doing for the past few months, as they chose him over his challenger, Breanna Neal, in Tuesday’s election.
Bogert was appointed in July by a majority of city council to fulfill the remainder of the term vacated by long-time Councilor Robert Hamel, who died in June. When Bogert was appointed, the only other applicant was Neal, who started and built a barbershop on Main Street before selling it earlier this year.
Bogert, who also represents the city at the state’s House of Representatives, was the preference of a majority of the council when he was appointed, though it was not a unanimous choice. Two of the five voting councilors supported Neal’s bid.
It turned out the preferences of Ward 5 voters broke along similar lines. Bogert earned 98 votes, compared to Neal’s 75.
In the only other contested race on the city ballot, incumbent Police Commission candidates Scott Davis and Doug Whittum kept their seats, easily fending off challenger Dave Ouellette.
Perhaps due to the lack of competitive races, turnout was low. There were 9,589 registered voters in the city, and only 1,220 — 13% — filled out a ballot on Tuesday.
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dodged. a. bull.et
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