LINCOLN PARK — Incumbent 43rd Ward Ald. Michele Smith and challenger Caroline Vickrey will be back on the ballot in a runoff election to determine who will represent the ward.
While Smith was the leading vote-getter with 41.5 percent, Vickrey said she considered pushing the race to a runoff a success.
Vickrey finished with 35.7 percent of the votes.
"I was really just hoping to get 30 percent; I am overjoyed" she said during her election party at Fairways. "I didn't have any idea. We didn't have any polls."
Smith said she was looking forward to the next five weeks leading to the April 7 runoff.
"We are feeling good," Smith said. "We are looking forward to the next phase of the campaign and having a vigorous discussion of the issues with my remaining opponent."
Smith, who hosted her Election Night party at the Red Lion Pub, said she is proud of he record as alderman and proud of serving the residents of the ward.
"It was a four-way race, a crowded field," she said. "Our ward always vigorously debates the issues, and I look forward to doing it again."
A total of 9,712 votes were cast in the 43rd Ward out of 30,254 registered voters.
The third leading vote-getter, Jen Kramer, received 16.9 percent of the vote, and Jerry Quandt received 5.9 percent.
Vickrey, Kramer and Quandt were all first-time candidates.
The biggest question now is which candidate Kramer and Quandt will support, if any, in the runoff election.
The run-off with be the third in three election cycles for Smith.
In 2011 Smith defeated Tim Egan in a runoff, winning 51.3 percent of the vote to Egan's 48.7.
In 2007 Smith lost in a runoff to Vi Daley by 46.1 percent to 53.9 percent.
The 43rd Ward includes Lincoln Park and parts of Old Town and the Gold Coast.
Check out our full 2015 Aldermanic Election guide for more info on the candidates in this and other ward races.
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