2/6/13 Laura Nauser wins race to regain Fifth Ward council ...Laura Nauser laughs while waiting for Fifth Ward City Council election results Tuesday evening at D Rowe's restaurant

2/6/13 Laura Nauser wins race to regain Fifth Ward council seat

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COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN

Laura Nauser wins race to regain FifthWard council seatBy Missourian staffFebruary 5, 2013 | 9:09 p.m. CST

Laura Nauser laughs while waiting for Fifth Ward City Council election results Tuesday evening at D

Rowe's restaurant. Nauser had 43 percent of the vote and won by 55 votes. | Whitney Hayward



Fifth Ward candidate Susan "Tootie" Burns talks to friend and supporter Jimmy Collier on Tuesdayat Bleu Restaurant and Wine Bar moments before finding out she lost the special election to LauraNauser by 55 votes. | Showkat Nanda



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Fifth Ward candidates held watch parties Tuesday evening in anticipation of the special election results. LauraNauser won with 43 percent of the vote. ¦ Missourian staff

COLUMBIA — Laura Nauser emerged from a three-way special election contest Tuesday to

narrowly regain the Fifth Ward seat on the Columbia City Council that she gave up in 2011.

Results

The final tally from Boone County Clerk Wendy Noren's office

showed Nauser with 992 votes, or 43 percent. Susan "Tootie"

Burns was second with 937 votes, or 41 percent. Mark Jones

placed third with 365 votes, or 16 percent.

Nauser's margin was 55 votes;; a total of 2,294 ballots were cast.

Why a special election?

Fifth Ward candidate Mark Jones talks to a reporter from KOMU on Tuesday at 44 Stone PublicHouse. Jones had about 16 percent of the vote. | Sarah Ng



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Fifth Ward candidates disclosecampaign donations, spending

Candidates for Fifth Ward councilseat discuss crime, PoliceDepartment

Fifth Ward council candidates talkabout use of tax incentives inColumbia

Fifth Ward candidate Mark Jonesunconcerned about past ethicsviolation

Tuesday's election became necessary after the resignation of

former Fifth Ward Councilwoman Helen Anthony, who stepped

down in November to move to the East Coast to be with her

husband.

Nauser's watch party

A hand went up into the air at Nauser’s watch party a little

before 9:30 p.m. at D Rowe's, and all sound left the room.

Gazing intently at his phone, a supporter yelled out the

percentage vote total for Nauser, letting her supporters know

she had won the election.

The crowd of roughly 30 supporters erupted into hearty

applause as Nauser beamed and threw her hands into the air in triumph.

“I’m very happy,” Nauser said after the noise had subsided. “I’m proud of the citizens of

Columbia. This only goes to show that every vote counts, and I’m glad that so many people got

out to vote.”

Fred Berry, who made a bid for state representative in the November election, was thrilled about

Nauser's victory.

“I’m elated because this is a woman who is capable and experienced,” Berry said. “She is a

deliberate, thoughtful and bright woman, and all those things go into making a good

councilperson. She’ll be a great addition back on the council.”

Acquiescing to the cries for a speech, Nauser stepped up onto an elevated dining area as someone

hit a glass with a fork.

“I am speechless,” she said. “This has been such a long road."

Nauser thanked everyone in the room, which included family and friends. She also thanked the

Columbia Chamber of Commerce for its endorsement.

“Now the work begins,” she said. But first, "I’m going to go take a nap.”

Burns' watch party

Lively chatter buzzed among the 100-or-so supporters that packed into the dimly lit backroom of



Bleu for Burns' watch party. An hour before the official results were announced, Burns bounced

among tables, small standing huddles and the crowded bar to shake hands and engage in

conversation.

By 8:20 p.m., 60 percent of the precincts had been counted. The results didn't favor Burns.

"Tootie has 39 percent of the votes. Nauser has 49 percent," Burns' campaign manager, Vicki

Hobbs, said. There was a collective sigh of disappointment.

Hobbs said she was sure Burns would win one of the two remaining precincts. But when the final

results were announced a little after 9 p.m., the result was clear.

"Columbia lost," one member of the crowd said. An extended round of applause followed.

"This has been a tremendous experience," Burns said. "This city is amazing. We have

opportunities we can be proud of. I'm so happy to have been a small part of that process."

Retired MU political science professor Marvin Rogers said he believed Burns' loss was a tragedy

caused by the votes garnered by Mark Jones.

"It was a great mistake," Rogers said. "If Mark Jones had not run, Tootie would have won."

Burns husband, Richard Burns, said he was proud of his wife.

"My wife would have been fair, she would have worked hard and would have involved herself in

all the neighborhoods," Richard Burns said. "It was a great campaign. I'm proud."

Jones' watch party

Jones' watch party at 44 Stone Public House was full of local political figures: former state Sen.

Chuck Graham, former state Rep. Judy Baker and representatives of the Boone County

Democratic Central Committee. What was once a cheerful mood with plenty of chatter turned

into a somber atmosphere, though, when results began coming in and the gap between Jones and

his opponents widened.

Instead of laughter, there were more understanding, silent glances from supporters.

Jones' wife, Sharon Jones, said she was incredibly disappointed. So was Ron Leone, a lobbyist for

the Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association.

“Regardless of the outcome, I feel like Mark Jones was the best candidate," Leone said. "I know



him to be the hardest worker, the ability to always do what is right. I have no idea what the

future holds for him, but he ran a great campaign. I am happy for him and for his family because

it takes a lot of courage to do what he did."

Jones spoke to his supporters before they called it a night.

"We didn’t cross the finish line in the way we originally set out to do," he said. "... We ran a great

campaign and tomorrow we will all wake up and go back to work. I will go back to advocating for

public and higher education, which is a pretty great day job.”

What's next

Nauser will be sworn in after the results are certified and serve the remainder of Anthony's term,

which expires in April 2014.

On April 2, voters will elect a mayor and council members for the Third and Fourth Wards.

Candidates for mayor include incumbent Bob McDavid and Sid Sullivan. Incumbent Gary Kespohl

and Karl Skala will compete for the Third Ward seat. In the Fourth Ward, incumbent Daryl

Dudley faces challenges from Ian Thomas and Bill Weitkemper.

Supervising editor is Scott Swafford.

CHART: Laura Nauser wins special Fifth Ward council election

Only 55 votes separated Laura Nauser from her closest opponent, Susan “Tootie” Burns, in aspecial election Tuesday to replace former Councilwoman Helen Anthony. Nauser won 992votes, Burns captured 937 votes, and Mark Jones got 365 votes. (Chart by Rachel Stinebring)



Documents

2/6/13 Laura Nauser wins race to regain Fifth Ward council ...Laura Nauser laughs while waiting for Fifth Ward City Council election results Tuesday evening at D Rowe's restaurant