LEWISBURG — They told him not to bother because students don’t go to the polls, but write-in Borough Council candidate Tim Hoffman, a Bucknell University senior, pulled it off Tuesday with a strong win against incumbent Peter Bergonia in Ward 3.
Hoffman’s 169 votes represented 74.45 percent of the turnout. Bergonia got 58 votes or 25.5 percent of the votes cast. There are 2,213 registered voters in the ward.
“I’m honored and humbled,” Hoffman said late Tuesday evening.
“When I started the campaign, a lot of people told me it was a waste of time because students don’t show up at the polls. But students came out and voted today.”
Bergonia, 63, did not answer calls after the vote tallies.
It is normally an uphill battle for anyone to win a write-in campaign.
“It’s not just a victory for Bucknell students,” Hoffman said, “but for anyone wanting the town to move forward.”
Bucknell University students have sought seats on the council before. None have won, although one tied with Bergonia after a recount in 1997. Bergonia was later awarded the seat when his name, not the students’, was drawn from a hat.
Hoffman kicked off his campaign in late August pledging to mend strained relations between the university and the borough.
Part of his strategy was to lead a campaign to get students registered to vote and he estimated they registered “a few hundred,” which he predicted would change the dynamic of the electorate.
“If you can explain to students how local government affects their life, they get motivated,” he said.
Hoffman, 21, a native of Denver, said he would serve out the entire four-year term, if elected.
Late Tuesday he said he would find a job in the area while he serves. He is majoring in political science and history with a minor in economics. He said he is excited about the job ahead.
In another hotly contested race in Union County, newcomer Tom Zorn, 56, soundly defeated incumbent Lawson Fetterman, 56, for East Buffalo Township supervisor. The vote was 622-527.
Fetterman had served 15 years on the board. Zorn said the vote indicated people wanted a different direction and new thinking.
“The vote is an indication of the citizens’ desire for change within township management,” Zorn said.
He said he appreciated the support he received from the Union County Democratic Committee.
Fetterman did not answer calls.
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