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US candidate Charles Lamb has advanced to the final round of mayoral elections in Edmond, Oklahoma following a successful Facebook campaign – despite dying in December.
The former mayor finished second to Dan O'Neil in a three-horse race where he managed to get 33 per cent of the more than 6,200 votes cast, finishing second. Results showed that former mayor Lamb finished second to Dan O’Neil, receiving 33 per cent of the more than 6,200 votes cast.
O’Neil, who is alive and well, came out on top with 56 per cent of the total votes. Both candidates will now appear on the final ballot to be held in April.
“It’s sort of an awkward election,” O’Neil admitted. “Mr Lamb was a fixture in Edmond for a long time … I will continue doing what he did,” he added.
Lamb died at home in December just one week after announcing on Facebook that he'd be running for another term.
According to city spokesman Casey Moore, following his death it was too late to remove the former mayor's name from the ballot or to replace him with another candidate, but if he is indeed successful in the election the City Council would appoint a living mayor.
His opponent Dan O’Neil, who served one term as mayor from 2007-2000 said:
There are people advocating for his election for their political reasons… they want to be mayor.
The Facebook campaign in support of Mr Lamb was led by Michelle Schaefer, of Edmond, who has directed questions to Councilman Nick Massey, who she also said hopes is appointed mayor.
Massey said he would have run for mayor himself had Mr Lamb not sought re-election back in February last year, adding that he would be “honoured” to accept the appointment but would not be campaigning for people to vote for Mr Lamb in the general election.
Speaking about what could potentially happen next, Massey added:
I think I prefer to sit back and let the citizens do what they think is right. I don’t expect to do any active campaigning
If you like the direction the city has been taking over the last six, seven, eight years, you might consider voting for Charles and let the city council decide who to appoint to lead the city of nearly 92,000.
Erik Lamb, the son of the late mayor, said he, his sister and his mother learned of the planned social media campaign and discussed it before it became public.
“We were approached by outside people who asked if they would have our blessing and we gave it to them to go ahead and continue,” Erik Lamb said.
The ballot will take place on April 2.
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