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Sean McCoy is sure his slim lead is strong enough to let him claim the at-large seat on the Longmont City Council.
“I am really confident,” McCoy said Wednesday morning while preparing to meet with a student group at Monarch High School in Louisville. McCoy teaches government at Monarch.
“I thought my message had good ideas and I think people really responded,” said McCoy, a former member of the city council. “I am humbled and honored by their support.”
As of this morning, only a couple of percentage points separates McCoy and opponent Mitzi Nicoletti — McCoy with 36.4% and Nicoletti at 34.18% — who said during a power walk this morning that she is not conceding the race.
“Absolutely not,” Nicoletti said. She said she is waiting for more results to be posted by the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder late this afternoon which could turn the race toward her. “I am still in the race.”
She admitted she is confused why 27,000 votes were cast for a $20 million bond for flood mitigation work and only 23,000 have been cast so far for the city council race. “I don’t understand why they voted for ballot issues and not for city council.”
She said she is prepared to go into Thursday without conceding. “There are still plenty of votes out there,” Nicoletti said.
Gary Hodges collected over 29% of the vote for the at-large seat, according to the latest tally from the clerk’s office.
McCoy held a slim lead over Nicoletti all of Tuesday night.
All three candidates were seeking the seat vacated last year by Joan Peck, who last year won her bid to become mayor.
McCoy ran unsuccessfully for city council last year. He was a city council member from 2007 to 2011. McCoy said during this fall’s campaign that affordable housing, homelessness and transportation solutions were top priorities for him.
McCoy served on multiple boards and commissions prior to serving on the city council including the Housing and Human Services Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission, Longmont Police Standards board and on the Boulder County Open Space commission.
Nicoletti served as board member for Sustainable Resilient Longmont and chaired the SRL Renewable Energy Committee, according to her campaign website. She also is a co-founder and member of the Longmont Climate Community.
She has served as a Board Member of the Longmont Art Walk, Longmont Downtown Association and the local Girl Scouts, according to her website.
Nicoletti co-founded WCW, or Women Chocolate and Wine, which focused on helping local women business owners network and build a community. It grew to over 500 members, the website states.
She said her priority as councilor is to connect people and groups to build more affordable housing and produce environmental sustainability in the city.
Peck endorsed Nicoletti as did State Rep. Tracey Bernett. Bernett last week was charged with attempting to influence a public servant, forgery and residence-false information, all felonies, along with misdemeanor perjury and procuring false registration, according to a release from the district attorney’s office.
Bernett, however, won her re-election bid Tuesday night.
