Calvin T. Brown was officially declared the winner of the District 8 Councillor election by five votes over Maria Belen Power following a recount Saturday in the City Council Chambers.
Brown, the incumbent, received 223 votes, while Power, the challenger, received 218 votes in the results announced after the recount. There were 13 blanks recorded. Power had requested a recount in the Nov. 2 election. Brown held a 10-vote lead heading into the recount.
Brown spoke to the assemblage inside the Chambers immediately following the recount.
“I want to thank everyone for coming out today,” said Brown. “I want to thank the city clerk and her staff and the board of registrars, and the city solicitor for an outstanding job. We really thank Maria for her very diligent effort of running, and I believe that she will be a voice in the City of Chelsea in the future. The folks of Chelsea and District 8 went out and voted and are the real heroes of this outcome. We did the work, the nuts and bolts of the final tally for District 8, and I thank everyone for making my victory possible, and Maria fo a very great challenge in the election.”
Power also thanked election officials for their efforts at the recount.
“I thank the city staff and board of registrars for really ensuring that every vote is counted and is really important,” said Power. “This is really a democracy in action, and I really appreciate everyone’s efforts. And congratulations to Councillor Calvin Brown.”
Brown, a popular, long-time city councillor, was able to defeat a very formidable candidate in Power, who ran a highly visible, well-organized campaign over the past several months. Power is a member of President Joe Biden’s White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council and an active participant in Chelsea community affairs.
Power said she was proud of her campaign.
“We’re incredibly proud of the campaign we ran,” said Power. “I knew I had an uphill battle going up against an incumbent. The fact that we came so close is amazing.”
Power said she will continue her involvement in the community. “I will definitely be civically and actively engaged in the community and run again for office in Chelsea.”
City Clerk Jeannette Cintron White, City Solicitor Cheryl Watson Fisher, and Board of Registrars Jacob Resnek, Michael O’Shea, and John Connors supervised the recount and reviewed the few contested ballots that were brought forward during the vote-tabulation process that took approximately two hours.
Attorney John Gannon, who represented Calvin T. Brown, praised Chelsea officials for their professionalism and accuracy.
“It was a very professional process,” said Gannon. “I’ve worked on a number of recounts before. The city did an excellent job. The recount was thorough and accurate, so I appreciate all the work by the city clerk, the city solicitor, and the members of the board of registrars.”