WILMINGTON — With just five votes separating Wilmington councilmembers Paul Lawler and Neil Anderson, both incumbents, Lawler has asked for a recount.
Initial election results had Anderson and Lawler just six votes apart, landing in the third and fourth spots respectively in a race for three contested city council seats; incumbent Mayor Pro-tem Margaret Haynes and newcomer Kevin Spears took first and second place.
Election law allows a recount request for any race in which two candidates are separated by less than 1% of the total votes received by both candidates. After the official vote canvass last Friday, Anderson had 5,471 votes to Lawler’s 5,466. The threshold for a recount, in this case, would be 109, much higher than the five votes that separate the two.
The recount will be held on Thursday, November 21.
