19-Vote Victory in Brooklyn Park City Council Race
The results of the Nov. 6 Brooklyn Park mayor and city council race are in, including a narrow victory for one council seat.
Tonja West-Hafner beat challenger Christian Eriksen by just 19 votes for a seat in the Central District that was previously held by Rich Gates, who decided not to run for re-election.
In the East District, incumbent council member Terry Parks won with a 69 percent advantage over contender Marta Yakovleva. Parks, a veteran, has served on the Brooklyn Park City Council for the past four years. He has called for changes to the city’s fire department, which he said is understaffed.
Wynfred Russell saw a victory over incumbent West District member Bob Mata. Russell’s campaign emphasized the importance of reducing crime and nurturing small business.
“We have a 30-year crime reduction in Brooklyn Park, but how do we maintain that? Those are some of the reasons I decided to get involved in this race,” Russell told CCX reporter Delane Cleveland on election night. “A win is not just a win for a diverse community, but a win for all of Brooklyn Park. It’s about people coming together, looking at common sense approaches and new strategies to try to move things forward.”
Incumbent Mayor Jeffrey Lunde was re-elected. He faced challenger Hollies Winston, who cited taxes and housing as two of his top campaign issues.
