Story on the results on Election Day

1. 4/8/2017 Ruffin, Pitzer win First and Fifth ward council seats | Local | columbiamissourian.com
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http://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/local/ruffin-pitzer-win-first-and-fifth-ward-council-seats/article_04a780da-1979-11e7-9aea-735ef0da5b54.html
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Ru n, Pitzer win First and Fifth ward council seats
MISSOURIAN STAFF Apr 4, 2017
Updated Information:
This story was updated at 10:10 p.m. to include comments from candidates and supporters at election watch parties.
COLUMBIA — Voters returned one incumbent and elected a newcomer to the Columbia City Council on Tuesday.
The Rev. Clyde Ru n, who was rst elected two years ago to ll the remaining term of former First Ward Councilwoman Ginny Chadwick,
was voters' pick to serve another three-year term. He defeated Andrew Hutchinson, an MU history and sociology student, and Pat Kelley, a
longtime activist in the central city's Ridgeway neighborhood.
In the Fifth Ward, Shelter Insurance portfolio manager Matt Pitzer, a former fantasy football analyst for USA Today, edged out MU business
management professor Art Jago. Pitzer will replace Laura Nauser, who was elected to the council four times and served a total of 10 years.
The election showed a marked disparity in the number of people casting ballots in the two wards. In the First Ward, just 1,146 people voted,
compared with the Fifth Ward's 2,537.
Ru n received 475 votes, or 41.5 percent of the total cast, while Hutchinson got 352 votes (30.7 percent), and Kelley got 319 (27.8 percent).
Fifth Ward voters favored Pitzer by a margin of 57 percent to 43 percent. He got a total of 1,446 votes, while Jago received 1,091.
Ru n watched the results come in and celebrated his victory with a small gathering of friends and family at his home on Vieux Carre Court
in the western part of the First Ward.
MONIQUE WOO
First Ward City Council incumbent Clyde Ruffin celebrates his re-election on Tuesday with campaign manager
and daughter, Candace Ruffin, in his home. Ruffin received 41.4 percent of the votes.
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2. 4/8/2017 Ruffin, Pitzer win First and Fifth ward council seats | Local | columbiamissourian.com
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As his grandchildren ran circles around the house playing with each other, Ru n
re ected on his victory, saying it showed his work over the past two years hasn’t gone
unnoticed. He said he will continue to follow the city’s strategic plan, which includes
goals to close disparities between African-American and white residents of Columbia.
“If we’re going to make the strategic plan really become a reality, it’s going to take a lot
of work,” Ru n said. "It’s going to take more than three years, and certainly it’s enough
to keep us busy for the foreseeable future.”
Ru n said that he is always concerned by low voter turnout in the First Ward and that
his Second Missionary Baptist Church runs voter registration drives a few times each
year.
“We knocked on the doors of almost every registered voter in the First Ward, so it’s a
little surprising when you see the turnout,” he said. “We just have to keep working at it.”
Hutchinson gathered with about 25 supporters at Top Ten Wines on Ninth Street. The
room was upbeat, and the majority of Hutchinson's campaign team was wearing red,
but they didn't coordinate on purpose. Supporters chatted cheerfully while some played
ping pong and sipped wine and beer.
Hutchinson paced the sidewalk in the rain and called Ru n once the results were in.
Members of his team were positive about the outcome.
"Another day, another campaign," eld coordinator Sam Willoh said.
Hutchinson walked back into the bar after congratulating Ru n.
"We ran a great campaign," he said. "I'm happy with my sta , the gains we made and the
gains we received."
Just a block away, at Glenn's Café in the Tiger Hotel, Kelley thanked her supporters for
all their help and congratulated Ru n on his win.
"I don't envy Clyde because I have found more ideas for the community and have so
much more for him to do," Kelley said.
About 15 somber and frustrated people lled the café's party room as the nal results
came in. Kelley said she was grateful for the chance to run and express her views on
the issues facing the community.
"As a rst-time candidate running against an incumbent, this was just an opportunity to
talk about our issues at forums," Kelley said. "But it was so much fun to see people
support the types of things I support."
At Sophia’s in south Columbia, the crowd of more than 40 people, including Mayor
Brian Treece, gathered in circles under the dim lights about 10 minutes after the nal
results announced Pitzer as the winner of the Fifth Ward. Pitzer and his family stood in
front of the crowd, and he thanked his supporters as they raised glasses for him.
“I’m really honored and pleased by the con dence that all the voters have shown me, the message and all the ideas that I’ve put forward in
the campaign," he said. "I’m looking forward to working on behalf of them and making sure we continue to move Columbia forward in a
positive direction."
Strengthening public safety resources and making the right infrastructure investments to support the growth in the Fifth Ward remain
Pitzer’s priorities. He said he wants to put his nancial background to work to make those things happen.
LOREN ELLIOTT
Clyde Ru n
MONIQUE WOO
Andrew Hutchinson

3. 4/8/2017 Ruffin, Pitzer win First and Fifth ward council seats | Local | columbiamissourian.com
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Wayne Hawks, a dentist and real estate developer, was happy to see his candidate win.
"I'm thrilled to death," he said. "He is a scal guy that understands how to budget
money."
D Rowe's hosted Jago's watch party, where about 30 people joined him to watch the
results come in. His wife, Janet Jago, his son, Arthur Jago, and his friends and former
students gathered around ve tables to have dinner and support him in the nal
stretch.
Jago, who was planning to retire from MU if elected, welcomed the 43 percent voter
support with a smile. After hugging his son and thanking everybody for their e orts,
Jago sipped from a glass of water and commended Pitzer.
“He was a good student,” Jago said. “I have no doubt that he will be a commendable city
councilperson.”
Jago admitted feeling bittersweet.
"I'm obviously disappointed, but I feel great,” he said. “I enjoyed the campaign far more
than I thought I would before I got into it. It was a lot of time, it was a lot of work, but I
don’t regret a minute of it.”
Missourian reporters Tom Coulter, Kaitlin Washburn, Erin Stark, Tomás Orihuela and
Soo Rin Kim contributed to this story.
Supervising editor is Scott Swa ord.
MONIQUE WOO
Pat Kelley
MONIQUE WOO
Matt Pitzer