The race for District 3 is finally over with Suzi Rumohr, a college librarian and local mobility and safe streets advocate, winning her runoff Saturday against former Planning and Zoning Chair Margie Ellis, a longtime local real estate agent.
Rumohr pulled ahead shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday when early voting results were posted online, with Rumohr received 64.9% of the vote to Ellis’ 35.1%. Slightly more than 1,000 people cast ballots early in the runoff.
By 9 p.m., complete but unofficial results had rolled in and Rumohr improved her lead to 65.6% to become the next council member for District 3.
Rumohr will be replacing Mayor Pro Tem Paul Meltzer, who decided not to seek reelection after defeating the incumbent, Jesse Davis, for the seat two years ago.
“I am deeply grateful and honored to be entrusted by our District 3 voters to represent them on Denton City Council for the next two years,” Rumohr wrote in a statement to the Denton Record-Chronicle on Saturday night. “I will continue my future service to Denton as I have over the previous eight years: by pursuing meaningful solutions to the challenges we face, by seeking to understand how each challenge and potential solution impacts different groups of people, and by working toward a safe, livable, vibrant Denton we’re proud to call home.”
Ellis conceded the runoff election shortly before 9 p.m. after 75% of the precincts had reported.
“Well, not the outcome we wanted, obviously,” Ellis wrote in a message to the Record-Chronicle. “But I am extremely proud of the positive campaign we ran. Sadly, it did not resonate with the voters. I am so incredibly grateful to my many volunteers and supporters. Congratulations to Suzi. I wish her well in the role of the District 3 Rep.”
Ellis and Rumohr found themselves facing a runoff election May 3 when none of the three District 3 candidates, including Karen Jill DeVinney, received the 50% of the vote plus one vote needed to secure the council seat. According to official election results for the general election, Rumohr received 942 votes (44.5%), Ellis secured 589 votes (27.8%) while DeVinney pulled in 586 votes (27.7%).
Ellis bested DeVinney by only three votes to move on to face Rumohr in the runoff. (Yes, your vote does matter in local elections.)
But on Saturday night, neither Ellis nor Rumohr seemed to have picked up many of DeVinney’s voters in the runoff election. Rumohr may have lost a few with 933 votes in the runoffs, while Ellis' vote total dropped down to 490, according to complete but unofficial results.
Those results will become official as soon as the council votes to accept them later this month.
In her Saturday evening statement, Rumohr thanked the people “who powered this campaign” and wrote that “their tireless efforts, thoughtful advice and positive vibes carried me when I was down, fueled me to keep going, and inspired me to be a better leader.”
Rumohr also thanked her opponent for her willingness to run for office and applauded Ellis for staying on the high ground and “running a clean, admirable campaign.”
“Thank you to all who voted and were engaged in this year’s Council races — even those who supported a different candidate,” Rumohr wrote. “I hope, over the coming months and years, I can earn your trust as we work together to make our neighborhoods even better than they are today. We will face tough challenges. I’m confident a goals-based Council can work together to put Denton on a path to financial and environmental sustainability.”
CHRISTIAN McPHATE can be reached at 940-220-4299 and cmcphate@dentonrc.com.
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