Political newcomer prevails in Waterville recount for Ward 7 council seat

Waterville City Clerk Patti Dubois explains the recount process Friday to current City Council Chairman Erik Thomas, center, and challenger Thomas A. McCormick Sr. Tuesday’s election results had McCormick beating Thomas by eight votes, prompting Thomas to request the recount. McCormick picked up two additional votes in the final tally Friday. Amy Calder/Morning Sentinel

WATERVILLE — Political newcomer Thomas A. McCormick Sr. prevailed in a recount held Friday in the race for the Ward 7 City Council seat held by Erik Thomas, with McCormick picking up two additional votes.

McCormick defeated Thomas by 10 votes in the recount, 161 to 151.

McCormick, 59, a retired Bath Iron Works pipefitter and machinist, won a three-year term in Tuesday’s election, initially defeating Thomas in a 159 to 151 vote. McCormick ran with no party affiliation but describes himself as an “unenrolled independent.”

“Thanks to everyone for coming out to vote,” McCormick said after Friday’s recount. “It’s nice to see the process work. I’m happy we got to have a recount for everybody. I’m looking forward to working for my constituents and for the city.”

Thomas, 46, a Democrat, has served as the Ward 7 councilor for three years and has been council chairman all three. Prior to that, he served three years on the Planning Board and four years as a city councilor representing Ward 4. Thomas will continue in his council role until the council’s first meeting next year, Jan. 4, when McCormick will be sworn in and the council will elect a new chairperson.

“I wish Tom luck,” Thomas said following the recount. “I’m certainly here to lend Tom any support. I’m proud of what we did in the last three years, and I’m still going to be involved.”

A former U.S. Marine who served more than seven years as an infantry rifleman and sergeant, McCormick said earlier this week that he was surprised he won the race, but he did knock on doors from Sherwin Street to Trafton Road prior to the election. He also stood outside the polls for 12 hours Tuesday.

The recount was held at City Hall and took about two hours, with City Clerk Patti Dubois supervising. It was all done by hand and did not require any additional cost to the city because volunteers assisted, Dubois said.

Citywide, 3,105 residents cast ballots Tuesday and more than 320 voted in Ward 7.

Some ballots in Ward 7 could not be read by a ballot machine. There can be a variety of reasons why a ballot cannot be read, such as a voter who marked more than one oval with ink or a name that was circled rather than an accompanying oval filled in.