BENSON -- Benjamin Hess and Anne Johnson were elected Tuesday as Benson's newest city council members.
According to information from the city offices, political newcomer Hess unseated incumbent Robert Claussen, 265-239, for a four-year term. Claussen was seeking a third term in office. Incumbent Sue Fitz retained her seat for four more years. She was the top vote-getter in the race for the two open seats with 377 votes. She will begin her fourth term in January.
Johnson defeated Mike Fugleberg, 225-207, for the remaining council seat. She will serve a two-year term. A newcomer to Benson politics, Johnson will fill the seat vacated in May by Lee Westrum.
Citing a conflict of interest, Westrum resigned from his seat after being hired as the Benson School District's superintendent. The council decided to keep the seat open and let the voters elect a new member to serve the remaining two years of the term.
Mayor Paul Kittelson ran unopposed and was elected to his seventh term Tuesday with 402 votes. He was first elected in 1995.
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Councilman Gary Landmark was the only council member not up for re-election this year; his term ends in 2009.
According to the general election results, 439 voters cast ballots in Tuesday's election, making up 23 percent of the city's 1,890 registered voters.
