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Sussex County Council candidate Judson Bennett has conceded defeat in his bid to unseat three-term incumbent Democrat Lynn Rogers for the Council’s District 3 seat.
Rogers, 51, won by three votes. He said he’s relieved that the election ended with his victory and that he’s glad the matter was resolved legally. “There’s no doubt about it now,” he said.
Bennett, who sat in the Sussex County Courthouse for two days’ worth of counting, said he’s done the best that he could under the circumstances.
“My wife and I talked about it over the weekend, we looked at the odds, talked to my attorneys and I don’t think that I would have prevailed in court,” Bennett, 60, said Nov. 8.
Early in the recount process Bennett, a Republican who lives in Lewes, said that he was considering suing over what he thought were inconsistencies in the way absentee ballots were handled.
Election-night results had Rogers with 8,746 votes to Bennett’s 8,734. Bennett immediately requested a recount of the 1,302 absentee ballots cast in the race.
As Return Day celebrations were taking place Nov. 4, Bennett’s attorneys and attorneys for Rogers watched the recount process in Judge T. Henley Graves’ courtroom.
Graves, Superior Court’s resident judge, heads the Board of Canvass, a two-judge panel responsible for certifying election results.
Following the first recount of ballots, Bennett moved to within three votes of Rogers, making the tally 8,744 to 8,741. A second recounting took place on Nov. 5, with no change in the tally, and Graves certified the results finalizing the election.
Bennett said that although he’s conceded the election he’s still not satisfied with the way absentee ballots were handled. He’s said that he also believes that at least two voters who live within the third councilmanic district were not allowed to vote in that district.
Bennett said that his campaign message on slowing down growth in the county, quality of life issues and protection of the inland bays, must have struck a chord with voters.
“ I have nothing to be ashamed about. At least 50 percent of the population in the third district voted the way they did because they’re concerned about what’s going on,” Bennett said.
Bennett said that he has congratulated Rogers on his win and for his part will now move on to whatever’s next. “I’m going to reevaluate the campaign, go rock fishing, and my wife and I might take a trip,” Bennett said.
Bennett said that he hasn’t decided whether he would run again for public office.
Rogers, the owner of Rogers Signs and a resident of Milton, said he’s heard the question of whether a message is being sent by voters as indicated in the close race results. “There’s always a message sent in any election,” he said.
He said he’s aware of the land-use, housing, traffic, environmental and quality-of-life issues county residents express concerns about.
“At this point in time we’re going to analyze what we’ve been doing for the past year,” he said.
In addition to the growth-related issues, Rogers said he’s concerned about affordable housing, sewer rates and housing and services for seniors who continue to call Sussex County home in ever-increasing numbers.
“We’ve got some of the lowest taxes in the country and people are continuing to come here,” he said.
Rogers said he plans to continue viewing the job of councilman as that of being a “legislator for Sussex County.”
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