Boukari wins, Wilford and Helle will face run off in Alachua election

Coerper walks into mayoral seat without opponent

In the race for commission Seat 3 Ben Boukari, Jr. was declared the winner with 633 votes while opponent Michael Canney picked up 248 votes. Boukari, with 71.85 percent of the votes, handily defeated Canney who picked up 28.15 percent of the votes cast Tuesday. But Alachua's election season isn't over just yet, the Seat 2 race is headed undetermined and headed for a runoff.
Robert Wilford and Duane Helle, candidates for commission Seat 2, will go head-to-head in a run-off on May 4, as neither candidate received the necessary 50 percent plus one vote to win the election outright.  Even with all 36 absentee ballots counted, none of the three candidates in the Seat 2 race had enough votes to escape a run-off.
Wilford received the most votes with 349 votes. Helle received 288 votes, and Dollean Perkins received 238 votes.  With 875 votes cast, Wilford picked up 39.89 percent, Helle garnered 31.91 percent and Perkins took home 27.2 percent of the votes.

Commissioner Gib Coerper will become the city's first elected mayor after running unopposed in the 2010 election. Coerper resigned his commission seat effective Tuesday as required by law.

For additional election coverage, check out the April 15 printed edition of Alachua County Today.