Runoff election to determine Blackfoot mayoral race
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BLACKFOOT — A runoff election will once again be used to determine the winner of Blackfoot’s mayoral race.
Incumbent Paul Loomis, who won his first term in office during a runoff election in 2013, claimed the highest number of votes, 782, on Tuesday night. But he still failed to get the 50 percent plus one majority that he needed.
That’s not surprising considering there were four contenders for the seat this year.
In the weeks ahead, Loomis, a U.S. Army veteran, will have to run against the challenger who came in second: Marc Carroll, a political newcomer who has served in many leadership positions over the years. The latter received 484 votes on Tuesday night.
Jim Thomas and Chase VanOrden, who were also seeking the Blackfoot mayor’s seat, received 402 and 299 votes, respectively.
Loomis has said he hopes to continue working on several projects he’s started related to street improvements, upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant and more economic development.
“We’re on the verge of some really neat things happening in Blackfoot,” Loomis recently told the Journal.
But Carroll has also been hoping for his chance to serve in office. Earlier this month, he told the Journal that he wants to bring a professional approach to the city. He also wants to upgrade infrastructure, find ways to draw more businesses to the area, and improve communication and transparency.
Blackfoot only had one contested City Council race on Tuesday.
Longtime incumbent Christopher Jensen was able to maintain his Seat One post. He garnered 1,126 votes, while challenger Sean Williams, earned 782 votes.
This article was originally published on the Idaho State Journal. It is used here with permission.