Secor led the field of eight candidates. She won 292 votes, or 30.42 percent, according to unofficial election results released by Webster County Auditor Doreen Pliner.

“That is really great and makes me feel very supported,” she said Tuesday night.

“There are a lot of great candidates and I’m glad I met them,” she added. “I’m really grateful to the people who supported me. I’m just really proud to be a member of our community.”

Mason won 157 votes, or 16.35 percent, according to those unofficial results.

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Election worker Bruce McCullough, of Fort Dodge, shares treats with his fellow election workers Tuesday morning in the board room at the Fort Dodge Community School District’s Administrative Offices. Many of the election workers have been serving together for years and bringing treats to share is a time-honored election day tradition.

“I’m happy that I’m moving on and get a chance to continue in the process,” Mason said.

He said he was disappointed in the voter turnout, which totaled 960 voters.

“I guess you have to expect that,” he said. “People aren’t thinking about voting in the winter.”

The purpose of the special primary election was to trim the crowded field to two candidates for the general election. Tuesday’s vote ended the council bids of the other six candidates.

Those candidates were:

-Messenger photo by Hans Madsen
Voters cast their primary election ballots for an at-large Fort Dodge City Council seat Tuesday morning in the board room at the Fort Dodge Community School District’s Administrative Offices.

• Richard Higgins, 99 votes, 10.31 percent.

• Jim Seward, 94 votes, 9.79 percent.

• Eugene Newsome. 78 votes, 8.12 percent.

• Steven Hansen, 77 votes, 8.02 percent.

• Zach Moore, 73 votes, 7.6 percent.

• Kyrie Borsay, 57 votes, 5.94 percent.

Higgins, who launched the petition that forced the City Council to call a special election, said Tuesday’s vote was a victory for him even though he will not advance to the Feb. 7 general election.

“I had a victory anyway,” he said.

“Thank you to the people who voted for me,” he said. “Even though I did not win, I feel like I achieved my main goal of giving voters in Fort Dodge the opportunity to choose who they wanted on the City Council.”

Seward offered his best wishes to Secor and Mason. He said he hopes that their “candidacies proceed for the best of Fort Dodge.”

He said he may run for council again sometime.

“Right now the good Lord above knows that I have a full plate and now is not the time for me to be on the City Council,” he said.

Moore said he believes Mason and Secor are both good candidates.

“I think they’re both prepared to give that their best if they’re elected,” he said.

However, he said he would be supporting Mason in the general election.

Borsay, Hansen and Newsome could not be reached late Tuesday.

Whoever wins the Feb. 7 special general election will hold an at-large seat on the council through the rest of the year. They will be completing the term of former Councilman Neven Conrad, who resigned in October after being named the magistrate for Humboldt County.

Andy Fritz, who had previously served on the council for 10 years, was appointed to complete the unexpired term, but the petition led by Higgins with the assistance of Newsome, triggered the special election.

The at-large seat at the center of this race will be on the ballot in the November general election, and the winner of that vote will serve a full four-year term.