Ogden mayor drama not over

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OGDEN -- Mayor Matthew Godfrey finished Tuesday night's vote counting with a slight lead over challenger Susan Van Hooser, but the city councilwoman wasn't conceding defeat.

Van Hooser said she won't concede because there are still provisional and absentee ballots that Weber County election officials plan to tally today.

"I'm not conceding to anything until those votes are counted," she said. "I'm absolutely optimistic."

Godfrey, 37, remained hopeful of winning a third term as voting results rolled in while he mingled with dozens of well-wishers who gathered in the ballroom of the Ben Lomond Hotel.

"We are all excited to see how things go," he said while surrounded by supporters.

Godfrey said late Tuesday that county officials have told him there are about 800 absentee and 480 provisional ballots to be counted. Godfrey expects to do well with absentee votes, but added provisional ballots "are anybody's guess" regarding which candidate will win the most.

Provisional ballots are cast by voters whose registration or residence is challenged at the polls.

Weber County vote results were initially slowed because of a computer glitch, said Gloria Berrett, election administrator for Weber County.

When election officials began counting early ballots shortly after the polls closed around 8 p.m., a computer problem wiped out all the votes that had been tallied, Berrett said. A new database was downloaded and ballot counting resumed, she said.

Since announcing his re-election bid in mid-June, Godfrey has spent nearly every day going door-to-door soliciting votes and talking to residents about their concerns.

Godfrey's campaign centered on several key issues, including crime reduction and economic development initiatives.

Van Hooser, a 64-year-old retired teacher who was appointed to fill a vacancy on the city council in September 2006, campaigned on a platform of sensible, open, unified leadership.

Van Hooser has pledged as mayor to tackle several key issues, including careful spending of taxpayer dollars, a holistic approach to fighting crime; open space preservation; support of local businesses; transparency in government and attention to infrastructure.

Van Hooser has also vowed if elected to establish better communications with residents so they are more involved in local government and improved cooperation between the administration and city council.

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