French defeats Sterner in closest LFP election

By Evan Smith

Contributing Writer

Lake Forest Park City Council challenger Tom French has defeated incumbent Councilman Ed Sterner in general-election results certified Tuesday.

French finished with 50.46 percent of the vote to 49.16 percent for Sterner in the closest LFP Council contest on the November ballot.

Of the 5,964 Lake Forest Park ballots counted, 2,699 had votes for French, 2,532 had votes for Sterner, 20 had write-in votes and 713 left the position blank.

French had lost to Councilman Robert Lee in 2009. Sterner had run unopposed in both 2003 and 2007 after winning with 70 percent of the vote in 1999.

In other LFP Council races certified Tuesday, incumbent Councilwoman Catherine Stanford won a second term with 55 percent to 44 percent for challenger Brian Cathcart, and candidate Jeff Johnson defeated opponent Chuck Paulsen, 51 percent to 49 percent, for the position that Councilman Dwight Thompson gave up to run for mayor.

Thompson lost the mayor’s race to former Councilwoman Mary Jane Goss, 52 percent to 47 percent.

Voter turnout in Lake Forest Park was 63.09 percent, well ahead of the countywide average of 52.11 percent.