Monroe Mayor Walser trails in bid for third term

MONROE — An era might be ending.

Mayor Donnetta Walser was losing her bid for a third term to former City Councilman Robert Zimmerman.

Zimmerman held a commanding lead on Tuesday, with 59 percent of the vote, or 946 votes, to Walser’s 40 percent, or 641 votes.

“Returns aren’t all in yet, so we’ll hold any type of claim on victory,” Zimmerman said.

Results in the mail-in election will be certified Nov. 24.

A loss would put Walser outside City Hall for the first time in a decade. She joined the council in 1999 and was elected mayor in 2002.

It also would mean a shift for the mayor’s office. Zimmerman has said he will reduce the role, acting more as a vision-setting chief executive than a day-to-day manager.

The mayoral race was just one of the contested seats in the city of 17,000. Three council seats also were up for grabs.

Position 1

Councilman Kurt Goering was leading in his race against Katy Woods, president of the Chamber of Commerce,

First appointed to council in 2007, Goering had taken 58 percent of the vote, or 878 votes, to Woods’ 41 percent, or 626 votes.

Position 2

The third time wasn’t the charm for R. Todd Fredrickson, who was losing his latest bid for council to Patsy Cudaback, executive director at the Monroe YMCA.

Cudaback held 56 percent of the vote, or 842 votes, to Fredrickson’s 43 percent, or 653 votes.

The winner will take the seat of outgoing Councilman Geoffrey Thomas.

Position 3

Tom Williams was winning in his first run for elected office against Jeff Frye, a one-time councilman trying to reclaim a seat.

Williams had 56 percent of the vote, or 822 votes, to Frye’s 44 percent, or 643 votes, in the race for Councilman Mitch Ruth’s seat.

Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.