Democratic incumbent Roger Armstrong appears to have won his reelection bid for Summit County Council Seat A based on preliminary general election night results.
Armstrong is poised to retain his seat with 8,378 votes, or about 56%, while his Republican challenger Tory Welch earned 6,670 votes, or about 44%, according to the results released on Thursday night.
Welch, an Army veteran and small business owner from Hoytsville, earned strong support from East Side voters. However, that support was not enough to overcome the backing Armstrong received from the Park City area.
The incumbent was hesitant to accept victory until the Summit County Clerk’s Office finished counting the ballots, but he was pleased with the preliminary results as well as the projected high voter turnout.
Armstrong said seeing citizens becoming more engaged is one of the best things. There were 15,815 ballots cast and voter turnout was estimated at 53% as of Thursday, according to the Summit County Clerk’s Office. Clerk Eve Furse anticipated it could reach 90% when all the ballots are counted.
“When you step back up, it opens the door for a referendum for the people,” he said on Thursday.
Armstrong spent Tuesday night at home watching a Netflix show with his wife, Beth. The couple had dinner and some popcorn before calling it an early night. They wanted some rest before waking up to the results on Wednesday.
Welch also spent election night with his family, not focusing too much on the local results because he expected them to take a while to be released.
The Republican said he wasn’t surprised by the County Council results, although he wished it was a closer race. Still, he recognized his chances running against a 12-year incumbent Democrat in a blue district. Welch’s campaign was focused on breaking one-party control in Summit County and bringing diverse viewpoints to the County Council.
“It was always a bit of a long shot,” Welch conceded. “I’d hoped to do a little bit better, but I wasn’t expecting a miracle.”
Welch spent about $4,639 on his campaign and raised more than $7,000.
Armstrong didn’t fundraise, only spending $339.46 on the candidate filing fee. He also didn’t create a campaign website or yard signs for the 2024 election.
The incumbent said his record of service is well known, and he wanted others to be aware of Welch’s platform. Armstrong did appear at community forums and candidate debates to help voters differentiate between himself and Welch.
Armstrong praised Welch for a thoughtful campaign. He encouraged his opponent to consider running for a board position to stay involved in local politics.
After his four years are up, Armstrong said there’s a 0% chance he’ll run again. He said he doesn’t want to stay too long, and feels his service will be enough at the end of his newest term.
Armstrong said he’s been very lucky to serve with a number of prominent community members including Kim Carson, Claudia McMullin and Dave Ure. He also looks forward to continuing to work with the current and incoming County Council over the next four years.
“At some point you have to stop,” he said. “At the end of my term, I’ll go happily into the haze.”