Kelkenberg Wins Duluth Council Seat

Duluth Planning Commission member Kelly Kelkenberg defeated Dusty Graham for Post 4 on the Duluth City Council in Tuesday’s election.

Kelkenberg garnered 730 of the votes cast in the only contested race in the Duluth Municipal Election. Graham, a health coach and massage therapist, received 411 votes.

Kelkenberg, who is employed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Regional office in Atlanta as director of the Mission Support Division for the Southeast, will replace Doug Mundrick, who is not seeking re-election, on the council.

Kelkenberg and his supporters gathered at Chocolate Perks across from Duluth City Hall. “First of all I want to thank you all for coming out here tonight, for working with me, and encouraging me and getting people out to vote.” Voting in the Duluth Municipal Election was at Duluth City Hall. “I think I will go a good job for you. I will be very accessible. I’m not opposed to sitting down and talking to people.'

Duluth Mayor Nancy Harris and Post 5 Councilman Greg Whitlock were unopposed for re-election. Harris received 1,117 votes, and Whitlock received 1,033 votes.

Sunday beer, wine and liquor sales in the Duluth City Limits passed by a vote of 987 for and 281 against.

A total of 1,276 votes including advance and absentee votes were cast in the city election out of 14,704 registered voters, representing 8.68 percent.

Duluth City Clerk Teresa Lynn reported that there was “a stream of voters all day long."

The ESPLOST one-cent sales tax to fund improvements in Gwinnett County Public Schools through 2017 passed 30,355 to 19,891 countywide or 60.41 percent to 39.59 percent.