AUBURN – A close race for city councilor-at-large was settled late Monday when a losing candidate decided not to challenge the results.

Candidate Ron Potvin, of 82 Northern Ave., ended his bid to recount the at-large City Council votes cast in last Tuesday’s election. Potvin lost to incumbent Councilor Bob Mennealy by 31 votes.

“Everything that was coming back to me told me the voting machines are very accurate, and that there was little to no chance I’d overturn anything,” Potvin said Tuesday. “The best case for me put me within a few votes. But it doesn’t matter if I lose by two votes or 31 votes. I still lose.”

Potvin, Mennealy and City Clerk Mary Lou Magno were scheduled to begin inspecting the ballots Tuesday morning. An inspection is the first step in a formal recount.

Ellen Peters easily won the first at-large seat, with 4,063 votes. Incumbent Councilor Bob Mennealy won the second seat with 2,944 votes.

Potvin came in third, according to the city’s official results, with 2,913 votes.

City staff and candidates would have had to sort through more than 9,000 ballots from all five city voting wards, checking each to make sure it was properly marked.

“It was going to be a huge job, and I did the math and just didn’t see anything changing,” Potvin said. “Besides, I won’t lose any sleep with Mennealy in the job. Our ideologies are pretty similar. So, whether he casts it or I do, it’s the same vote.

Ward 3 count on

A second ballot inspection is moving forward, however. Dan Herrick of 470 Hatch Road requested an inspection Monday for his race against incumbent Eric Samson. Herrick lost to Samson by 19 votes.

“I’ll be there, guaranteed,” Herrick said. “It doesn’t matter any more whether I win or I lose. But I owe it to the people that voted for me to get an accurate count.”

Herrick’s ballot inspection is scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday in Auburn Hall. The group will have to inspect about 1,700 ballots.

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