Long-time Republican city Councilor Mike Rimcoski fell short in his reelection bid Tuesday.
"The time has come to move aside," Rimcoski said, and begin checking off items from his wife’s lengthy to-do list.
But the GOP made up for his defeat by propelling retired football coach David Mills to a 3rd District seat with the highest vote totals of any council contender.
Two other newcomers will also join the six-person council -- Democrats Kevin Fuller and Kate Matthews.
Incumbents Cliff Block, Kevin McCauley and Ken Cockayne won reelection by wide margins. Block and McCauley are Democrats. Cockayne is a Republican.
"Mad Dog’s still alive," shouted Henry Raymond, a GOP official, when the numbers showed that Cockayne would return for a second two-year term on the council.
Cockayne said his win showed that "people want someone who will talk for them and fight for them."
So while half the council will be newcomers when it takes office next week, the party breakdown will remain four Democrats and two Republicans.
Mills said that three months ago, he had no intention of seeking office.
But he plunged into the race anyway.
"I just hope it works out," Mills said. "We need to pull this city together and get things to work."
Fuller, who captured Rimcoski’s 1st District seat, said he is "very excited" that his work paid off at the polls.
"Now the fun begins," Fuller said. "Let’s all work together to make Bristol better."
Matthews, who took one of the two open 3rd District seats, said she is "ready to get to work."
"It was a great day," she said. "I’m happy."
Democrat Kevin McCauley, the senior councilor, said his large margin of victory is an endorsement of his focus on code enforcement efforts.
"It kind of reinvigorates me," McCauley said.
Block said he felt humbled by his tally and sorry for Rimcoski, whom he called "a gentleman and a friend."
Those who fell short had a harder time.
"It’s difficult, but the sun will rise tomorrow," said Democrat Terry Parker, who fell well short of Mill’s total in the 3rd District.
Ex-Marine Richard Scarola, one of the GOP’s 2nd District contenders, said he "came out of nowhere" to run and while he has to fall back this time, he’s not retreating.
Derek Czenczelewski, a Republican in the 3rd District, thanked party leaders "for giving me a shot to run as a 22-year-old unknown."
He said the race was worth it because he "met a lot of great people."
Allen Marko, a 2nd District Democrat, said he enjoyed the experience.
"Winning Miss Congeniality isn’t that bad," Marko said.
Unofficial results show that in the 1st District, Block got 1,697 votes while Fuller hauled in 1,659. Rimcoski had 1,520 and Eldianne Bishop got 921.
In the 2nd District, McCauley got 1,713, Cockayne 1,680, Marko 1,084 and Scarola 1,059.
In the 3rd District, Mills collected 1,756 votes, Matthews 1,424, Parker 1,249 and Czenczelewski 1,105.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
5 comments:
McCauley&Cockayne,again now is the time to put up or shut up because your District includes the West End and neither of you have done a thing about crime in this neighborhood your whole time in office so far!During this time W.E.has even been worst!The guy who was killed Sunday had the argument at the old Tracys Pub it's time to close that dump!Gangs,drug dealers,prostitutes,graffiti,absentee landlords and since you to been in office absentee councilmen!There is a house on Park St.a 3 family has had a blue tarp on the roof for 3 years now!The landlord shut down the third floor just so he didn't have to fix the roof!Meriden Property Management owns the property,the Federal Hill Association gave the owner Kory an award this year and he has about 15 more properties in Bristol that are dumps!Ken,not scared to ask the tough questions so you say,ask Ward who paid for his trip to Fenway with the Presidents of Damato Construction and O&G Industries!Is he another John Rowland!I guess Damato is a shoe-in for Depot Square!
Wait, D'Amato paid for Ward to go to Fenway? And D'Amato has a bid for Depot Square? Steve, go get em!
Cockayne is HALF RIGHT: he TALKED for the people, but got nothing done!
A lot of hot air, and totally out for himself.
Hope he doesn't have any further aspirations.
W.E. Lifer ... have you called any one of these two councilmen? Probably not. If you sit there and complain to your neighbors and not those who represent you, then you are just as guilty as those committing the injustices in your neighborhood. This is to all people in the city. CALL YOUR COUNCILMAN if you have a problem!!!!! People are so quick to judge them because they have a problem, but most of the time the councilman have no clue there is a problem, because their attention has not been brought to the situation. I'm tired of hearing people complain about everything yet they say nothing to those who can correct the situation. I have called my councilman and he has gotten things done and I'm in the second district. Remember ... the squeaky wheel gets the grease so you better start squeaking!!!
Lifer, i guess you are unaware of the west end study that was put into place to take a look at the right thing to do with the west end. these two gentlemen have been busy doing things, but the problem didn't happen overnight nor will it take a day to fix. this is a long-term problem that requires a long-term fix. they are both battling the absentee landlord thing especially mccauley through the codes. if you're smart, you'll talk to all your elected officials about supporting the codes because that's the key. the landlords don't want to fix their properties up and who will live in dumps? people who have no choice, unfortunately, and are forced to live in squalor and our taxes pay tons of money for them to live in these horrible places. mccauley and cockayne are doing what they can. you need to also call the police every time you have a problem. i know i do. in fact, keep on calling until you get satisfaction. it will work but don't give up after one call. the police are busy but the will be there.
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