WEB EXTRA / KOCH TROUNCES PHELAN
By JOHN KELLY
The Patriot Ledger
QUINCY -- Challenger Thomas P. Koch defeated Mayor William J. Phelan by a wide margin today
after the most expensive mayoral campaign this city has ever seen.
Phelan went to Granite Links Golf Club shortly before
9 p.m. to concede in person to Koch.
At City Hall, Koch campaign supporter Kevin Madden, who was tallying results as
they came in, said that unofficial results had Koch winning by roughly 2,000 votes.
Citing unofficial results, Quincy
public access television had similar figures. About 22,000 votes were cast, which would give Koch a victory by 54.5 to 44.5
percent.
"We’re very happy right now," said Chris Walker, a spokesman for Koch.
Koch's campaign declared
victory shortly after the polls closed. He will be sworn in as Quincy's 30th mayor in January.
Koch's win ends a divisive mayoral campaign that began shortly after Koch resigned as
park commissioner in January to run against Phelan, his boss for the past five years.
As news of his victory spread,
supporters headed to Granite Links Golf Club to celebrate Koch's election.
The race surpassed local campaign spending
records weeks ago.
By Oct. 19, Phelan reported his campaign's cash this year had grown to $391,000 versus Koch's 10-month
fundraising blitz of $219,000. In that period, the mayor outspent Koch $290,000 to $174,000.
It was the only formidable challenge Phelan has faced since his historic upset of
six-term incumbent Mayor James A. Sheets by 17 votes in 2001.
Unofficial Results from QATV at 10:00pm. November
6, 2007:
(30 of 30 precincts)
Mayor:
Phelan - 10620
Koch - 12670
Phelan:
ward
1 - 2231
ward 2 - 1454
ward 3 - 1715
ward 4 - 1299
ward 5 - 1871
ward 6 - 2050 total = 10620
Koch:
ward 1 - 2214
ward 2 - 1910
ward 3 - 2088
ward 4 - 1838
ward 5 - 2174
ward 6 - 2446
total=12670
Councillor-at-large:
Joe Finn - 13082
John Keenan
- 12407
Michael McFarland - 13791
Jennifer McCauley Logue - 8572
Victor Ng - 5753
Ward councilors:
Ward 1 Leo Kelly
- 3248
Ward 2 Dan Raymondi - 2740
Ward 3 Kevin Coughlin - 3028
Ward 4 Jay Davis - 1963
Ward 5 Doug Gutro - 3242
Ward 6 (5of
5 precincts)
Brian McNamee - 2722
Jimmy Liang - 1618
School Committee:
Elaine Dwyer - 10903
David McCarthy - 11905
JoAnn Bragg - 12431
Eileen Mullen - 7143
Nicholas
Puleo - 7296
