93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
The publisher of Comobuz.com credits strong voter turnout in Columbia’s fourth ward for propelling Barbara Buffaloe’s mayoral victory.
Businessman Randy Minchew and Ms. Buffaloe each won several wards, but Mike Murphy says the fourth ward had the largest turnout.
“So 36 percent of the voters turned out in ward four, and she won some of those precincts as high as 40 percent of the voters turnout. And in those precincts, she won 60 and 70 percent of the vote,” Murphy says.
Buffaloe beat Minchew by about 800 votes, and Murphy says the fourth ward provided that margin of victory.
Meantime, Columbia’s tied third ward council race is the first tie in city history. Incumbent Karl Skala and challenger Roy Lovelady have tied with 1,102 votes each. Murphy predicts the campaign will go all summer long.
“Roy won four of the six precincts out there (in northeast Columbia), but in the two that Karl won, he won by enough of a margin to get to the tie. So Roy is in good shape out there. I do indeed believe that they’re going to have to run just like they were running for election in the (August) primary,” says Murphy.
The special election will take place on August 2, which is Missouri’s primary election day. You can hear the full “Wake Up Columbia” interview with Mr. Murphy here.
