Aspen voters re-elected their mayor and kept a city council member. A second council seat is to be determined. It was a night of awkward moments, as incumbent Mayor Steve Skadron once again bested Torre. The two went toe to toe in a runoff two years ago. This time, Skadron won handily, by about 400 votes.
Afterwards, Skadron was almost tearful, saying “I know I should be exuberant and full of joy, but it’s hard for me knowing other people are hurting from great disappointment.”
It was Torre’s fifth run for the Mayor’s office. Of the two city council seats up for grabs, incumbent Adam Frisch easily snagged one, while the other is still up in the air. Candidate Bert Myrin has such a narrow lead of 109 votes, he could end up in a runoff with former mayor and councilman Mick Ireland.
“I think community has two good choices remaining for council, and the community has won either way,” Myrin said on his cell phone Tuesday night, “with a seat that will support Referendum 1.”
Aspen’s City Attorney says the close council results are interesting and unusual. Officials may know Wednesday whether there will definitely be a runoff. Myrin and Ireland both plan to campaign hard.
In an odd twist, both clear winners of the mayor’s race and first council seat opposed Referendum 1, though the measure passed easily.
