John Krueger, Bruce Landeg Oust Micchia, Walsh From Mentor City Council

The voters of Mentor had a choice between the old and new this Election Day as all four City Council ward races were contested.

Ultimately, electors decided to mix some fresh blood into Council, according to preliminary vote counts.

Ward 3 candidate and Ward 4 candidate have ousted their incumbent opponents, and , respectively.

Both Walsh and Micchia are long-time members of Council. Ed Walsh has served as a councilman for 34 years; Micchia, 18.

Meanwhile, incumbents Ward 1 Councilman , Ward 2 Councilwoman and At-Large Councilwoman will return to their seats.

Ward 4

Krueger received 2,241 votes as compared to Micchia's 1,671.

Krueger said he was surprised by the margin of victory.

"Actually, from working the polls and walking the streets today, a lot of people commented that they were supporting me. I really appreciated that," he said.

When asked what about his platform resonated with voters, he said, "I think the people of Ward 4 wanted someone who represented the ward and not their own political interests."

Meanwhile, Micchia said he still planned to serve in the city in any capacity that it needed him.

"I'm very proud of my years of service and will still be there to help any way that I can," he said.

Ward 3

Landeg complimented Walsh, who he ran against and lost to four years ago for the Ward 3 seat.

"I respect Ed Walsh and his 34 years of service to the city," he said.

Landeg garnered 2,344 votes, almost 20 percent more than Walsh's 1,571.

He thinks his campaign's focus on the struck a chord with voters.

"I think people were looking toward Mentor's future," Landeg said.

Ward 1

Council President had the most competition for his seat. He was running against Board of Zoning Appeals member Sean Blake, Becky Lynch and Planning Commission member Nicholas Valeri.

Shiner received 1,808 votes. Blake was the closest with 1,618. Lynch and Valeri received 467 and 329, respectively.

"It was a hard race," Shiner said. "I'm proud that I won. I want to thank the voters and I'm happy to serve the city for four more years."

Ward 2

Incumbent topped her opponent , 1,714 to 1,616 votes.

While the vote was relatively close, it was not close enough to qualify for an automatic recount.

At-Large

At-Large candidate is the only Council member on the ballot who did not have to sweat through the evening as she ran unopposed.

created when Micchia was elected as Ward 4 councilman while he was still the sitting at-large councilman.

Dowling can now serve out Micchia's term, which lasts until Jan. 1, 2014.