Paine, Fennessey Advance In Superior Mayoral Primary

Jim Paine and Brent Fennessey came out on top in Tuesday’s primary race for Superior’s mayor. The two candidates will now face off in the April general election.

Douglas County Board Vice Chairman Jim Paine won 44 percent in Tuesday’s race. Paine said the results were better than he expected. He wants to hear more from voters over the next couple months about what they want for the city.

“One of the most compelling things that I keep hearing from voters is that they want to make sure that this is a place the next generation wants to stay. They want people to be invested in this community. Of course, everybody is concerned with the nuts and bolts of city life. We want better streets. We want lower taxes,” Paine said. “That’s important to people, but really we want to be proud of where we live. And we want to believe that this is a fun place that we can continue to invest in and grow and I think a lot of people are optimistic about that.”

Superior City Councilor Brent Fennessey came in second with 28 percent of the vote. Fennessey said he also plans to get out there and talk more with people about their hopes and concerns. But, he said the two have different views on how government should run based on their experiences in county and city roles.

“Although it is that same general process they are run differently with different focuses, different goals, different everything,” Fennessey said. “There is a lot of differences and it’s just a matter of finding those differences. I think Jim and I want the best for Superior. I think that would be fair to say.”

Superior Planning Commissioner Kalee Hermanson came in third in Tuesday’s race, but she said she wouldn’t have run her campaign any differently. Hermanson said she has no plans to run for public office in the future. She said voters should do their homework before the next election.

“I would say just research for candidates and make sure what they are all about and definitely get out and vote on April fourth,” she said.

Superior City Councilor Mike Herrick couldn’t be reached for comment. Around 14 percent of voters in Douglas County cast a ballot in Tuesday’s primary. The general election will be held on April 4.