Brewer wins meeting to replace Lay on Lake Borough Council – Chicago Tribune

The City of Gary will retain control of the Lake County Council’s District 2 seat as At-Large Gary Common Councilman Ronald Brewer Jr. was selected to fill the vacancy at Saturday morning’s meeting.

Brewer, who has served on the Gary Council for 12 years, won the second round of voting at the Calumet Township Multipurpose Hall. He will complete the term of Clorius Lay, who died on February 12.

Lake County Democratic Party Chairman Jim Wieser announced that of the 36 2nd District precinct committee members who registered to vote, only one person was ineligible to vote. Therefore, whoever wins the caucus will need to get 18 votes to secure the seat.

Wieser also reminded voters that they cannot leave until all votes are received, as they did during the January caucus to replace Gary Mayor Eddie Melton’s former State Senate seat. Three electors left during that meeting and refused to return, with former Hobart Councilman Dave Vinzant beating out Gary Councilman Mark Spencer, the Post-Tribune previously reported.

In the first round of voting Saturday, Brewer was given 14 votes, followed by former Highland City Councilwoman Toya Smith, who received 10 votes, Gary Area Committee member Carol Ann Seaton, who received eight votes, and Gary businessmen Norman Hairston and Carl Weatherspoon Jr., with two and one votes, respectively. watched. . Brewer received 18 votes in the second ballot, while Smith retained 10 votes and Seaton received seven votes.

Brewer, who was sworn in immediately after the vote by Gary City Court Judge Deidre Monroe, said he appreciates all the support the district has given him. He promised to work with and for people throughout District 2, not just Gary residents.

“When I was first elected to the Council, I wasn’t elected to chair any committee, so I just sat back and worked and learned,” he said during his speech. “I was elected vice president the next year and continued to work with both parties.”

Seaton, who has been a precinct committeeman for 20 years, said what he learned from that position was that there are show horses and there are horses that do the work, and that he is “always the worker.” He told voters he would make sure he would be their voice if elected.

“I can’t be told what to do, but I can listen and fight for the cause,” he said.

Hairston, a first-time candidate who said he has two engineering degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said attending the meeting was “an interesting experience.” He did not rule out running again.

“This region has so much assets that it could be wiped out like this,” he said.

Wieser said a meeting to replace Brewer on the Gary Common Council will be held within 30 days.

Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.