Pat Haley
WILMINGTON — A new mayor and new school board members for Wilmington came out of Tuesday’s general election.
Wilmington Mayor
Republican nominee Pat Haley won the election for Wilmington Mayor against independent candidate Jason Stoops. According to the Clinton County Board of Elections’ final unofficial results, Haley received 2,204 votes (70.51%) while Stoops received 922 (29.49%).
Haley told the News Journal he’s appreciative of the support from voters.
“You have spoken and I will work tirelessly as your new mayor to do the will of the voters in making Wilmington a place we can once again be proud,” said Haley. “The road we will be taking will not be an easy one. There are many challenges facing the city. But we will face each challenge with diligence, fairness, and an open mind. We will show respect and compassion to all those we encounter; and we will be tough when toughness is needed.”
He added his vision is to make Wilmington “clean, safe, and attractive” for residents and visitors.
During his campaign, Haley focused on issues including continuing economic development projects, addressing traffic concerns, quality housing developments, and strengthening the police and fire departments. One of the biggest issues he focused on was homeless individuals.
Haley defeated incumbent Mayor John Stanforth in the Republican primary in May.
Wilmington School Board
In the four-way race for the Wilmington City Schools Board of Education, candidates Bill Davis and Bill Liermann, both former school board members, won the two seats up for election this year, according to unofficial results. Davis received 2,792 votes (29.50%) and Liermann received 2,630 (27.79%).
“This has been a nine-month process, I really wanted to do this,” said Liermann. “I wanted to work with (Wilmington Superintendent Jim Brady) and work to get our state rankings up.”
Liermann told the News Journal he hopes to build a “bridge of trust” with rural parts of the school district — including Cuba, Martinsville, and Port William.
“We all need to work together to make it the best it can be,” he said.
Davis told the News Journal he was thankful for the support he had and is ready to get to work.
The two other candidates who ran for school board were incumbent Kevin Snarr (2,324 votes) and Elaine Silverstrim (1,717 votes).
Reach John Hamilton at 937-382-2574
