Recount confirms Goodlund wins Hopkins City Council race, boosts margin to 2 votes
The results of the race for Hopkins City Council are now all but official.
Last week, Ben Goodlund beat Aaron Kuznia by one vote for the seat, 885 to 884. A recount was conducted at the Hopkins Fire Station Monday morning and gave Goodlund an extra vote, doubling his margin of victory.
The results will now go to the council on Tuesday to be certified.
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The candidates gathered Monday morning for the recount, anxiously awaiting the results just as they did on Election Day.
“I think It’s really kind of nerve-wracking because you sit there and you hear your name, Ben’s name and not your name, whichever ballot it is. … It’s just kind of nerve-wracking,” Kuznia said.
Kuznia, who also ran for the council four years ago and lost by just seven votes, said the process reiterates that every person’s vote matters.
“I will accept it 100%,” he said. “I appreciate the attention the media is giving this. One vote matters.”
“Every single vote matters and counts, and this is literally living proof of that,” Goodlund added.
Despite coming into the recount up by a vote, Goodlund seemed a bit nervous, too.
“You run through every scenario, every possible scenario. Obviously, I hope and intend and pray that it stays in the victory column,” Goodlund said beforehand.
After less than three hours of counting, he stayed in the victory column. While obviously disappointed in the result, Kuznia said he was happy with his effort.
“I’m fine with the process,” Kuznia said. “I know I ran a good campaign. I ran a clean campaign, honest, and I’m not planning to sell my house anytime soon. I think we’ll be just alright and our city’s in good hands.”
The two candidates even shook hands and hugged after the results.
“So beyond humbled and grateful by this entire thing,” Goodlund said. “You know, again, I will say this from the beginning and end of my term, every vote counts. Every vote matters.”
And the city’s clerk, who called it the closest race she’s overseen in her 10 years with the city, said the way Kuznia and Goodlund conducted themselves and the respect they showed each other didn’t go unnoticed.
“It is gratifying for us to see the candidates can leave this here and go on and still do good things for the community of Hopkins,” Domeier said.
If that extra vote counted on Tuesday had gone to Kuznia and tied him with Goodlund, the race would’ve been decided by a coin flip.
CLICK HERE to find out more about the recount process.