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Surprise voters in District 5 are going with a youth movement.
Valley Vista High School teacher Jack Hastings, 26, badly beat Surprise City Councilman David Sanders in unofficial voting, 59% to 38%.
Out of 3,717 ballots cast, Mr. Hastings has earned 2,063 votes in the count so far, with Mr. Sanders pulling in 1,331.
Write-in candidate Kawika Henderson received 71 votes (2%).
District 5 serves central Surprise, including the City Center area.
The election was only for a two-year term since it was to officially fill the seat Skip Hall vacated when he was appointed to mayor at the end of 2018. Mr. Sanders was then appointed to fill the District 5 vacancy.
To keep the seat, Mr. Hastings would have to run for reelection in 2022.
All results are preliminary until all of the ballots dropped off at City Hall on Election Day and all provisional ballots are counted.
The Maricopa County Elections Department expects to release a final ballot tally by Monday, Aug. 24.
Former NAU Lumberjack who loves going to concerts (or I did), watching sports (or I did) and hanging out with friends (oh, never mind). I also enjoy backgammon, surfing and men who are not afraid to cry.