In races for the Powell City Council, Geoff Hovivian beat out James Andrews for a vacant seat in Ward 1, and Lesli Spencer will keep her Ward 3 spot, winning against challenger Heath Streeter.

With 353 votes, Hovivian took 53% of the vote against Andrews, who had 306 votes. There were six write-in votes for the Ward 1 race.

“Thanks to the voters for having confidence in me. I’m going to do my best to do right by them,” Hovivian said Wednesday.

Spencer took 494 votes — 60% of the total — and Streeter took 322 votes. There were also six write-in votes in that race.

“I thank everybody for coming out and voting. I wish we had more participation, but I think our numbers were up. So that’s good,” Spencer said.

Meanwhile, Powell Mayor John Wetzel, who ran unopposed, received 2,461 votes against 98 write-ins to earn another four years in office.

Floyd Young’s Ward 2 seat was also up for election, and he ran unopposed as well, taking 901 votes against 20 write-in votes.

Hovivian, an EMT and construction worker, had campaigned on a desire to bring “fresh” ideas to the council. With his win Tuesday, he will be the youngest member on the council. He said in July he had no agenda and would listen to what his constituents want. Following the election, he again encouraged Ward I residents to call or email him with their thoughts and concerns.

Andrews, owner of Red Zone Sports Bar and Grill, ran on a business friendly platform, saying his experience as a business owner would help him give a voice to businesses in Powell.

Streeter, a propane delivery driver and a service technician, said he ran thinking that Spencer had decided not to run for reelection. He was looking for a way to contribute to the community and running for the council seemed a good way to do it.

Spencer, who works for Keele Sanitation, was appointed to serve on the council in 2015. She ran for a full term the following year, making this her second term.

Former Ward 1 Councilor Jim Hillberry had already decided he would not seek reelection before he passed away in July. In order to comply with state statutes, the council has been in the process of filling Hillberry’s position. They have yet to appoint anyone, so the Ward I spot has been unfilled since July.

The council will also need to appoint a replacement for Ward 2 Councilor Scott Mangold, as he has been elected to the Park County Commission.