Dearborn School Board Race Decided by 21 Votes
Twenty-one.
That’s the margin of victory for James Schoolmaster, who just barely defeated Roxanne McDonald for his third term on the Dearborn School Board.
With all of Dearborn reporting, Schoolmaster was ahead of Roxanne McDonald by just 137 votes. Schoolmaster finished with 8,838 votes to McDonald’s 8,701 in Dearborn.
In Dearborn Heights, Schoolmaster lost to McDonald, 759 to 643 votes. Had 22 more residents living around the River Oaks school in Dearborn Heights voted for McDonald, she would have won the election. A good example of why every vote does indeed count.
The final total vote tally was 9,481 for Schoolmaster, 9,460 for McDonald.
The question now is whether McDonald will seek a recount.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:45 pm
This close race does underscore the fact that each vote is important. Given the reasons to vote for Schoolmaster – that he saved money by conducting audits himself, for example – will he reflect on the cause of the close vote?
At this point, we have no reason to expect him to get the message.
November 3rd, 2010 at 3:33 pm
I say call for a recount for the peoples sake, and yours. Schoolmaster is a waste, and a rubber stamp for the BOE.
November 4th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
What is the percent difference in votes? It looks like 11 votes attributed to the winner instead of the loser would have changed the outcome. What are the procedures for doing a recount and being sure of the accuracy of the count especially for the absentee and write in votes? How is a recount done? What are the time limits and costs and rules involved? 21 out of approximately 19,000 might just be worth a recount.
November 5th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
if you go to this link .. http://michigan.gov/documents/sos/Recnt-Process_Chron_Gen_Elect_255417_7.pdf
from the michigan.gov/sos website, it explains the recount procedure and how much it costs etc.
If Ms. McDonald wants to recount the vote and seeing as it’s soooo close, I wouldn’t blame her one bit, she would have to file for one and pay for it.
21 votes is ridiculously close and worth a recount in my eyes!
November 6th, 2010 at 11:22 am
Even though I like Schoolmaster and think he’s done a good job representing DPS, if I was in Roxanne McDonald’s shoes with a vote this close, I’d purse a recount because many times there are errors in voter counts.
November 10th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
I am definitely in favor of a recount in this election. 21 votes is way too close to call it – especially after Mr. Schoolmaster made a point of NOT campaigning. He was actually overheard saying something to the effect that the voters would vote for him based solely on his name (because Schoolmaster for School Board just goes together) and that he didn’t feel the need to campaign. That sounds to me like a man who is calling his constituents too stupid to study the issues and make a decision based on facts and records. If you voted for this man based solely on the fact that “School” is in his name – shame on you. Please, Mrs. McDonald, ask for the recount – you are needed on the Dearborn School Board.
November 11th, 2010 at 6:40 pm
Gottasayitoutloud, i
you know, no disrespect to my fellow residents, but i was thinking that, perhaps, Schoolmaster’s name might’ve helped him. i took a psych class last year and my prof noted that a social psych study found the people in said study tended to vote Republican during times of hardship or if their voting place was close to a cemetary. There’s also been research done noting how an ethnic name on a resume hurt the applicants’ chance at getting the job. in my personal experience i’ve found too that a name can make a huge difference on the resume, grant app., e.g. written areas where people may not have too much to go on but your name. This is too close. I hope McDonald gets the recount.