Kirkwood wins special election in Riverside

Christine Kirkwood has won the special election for the open seat on the Riverside City Council. According to the unofficial results released Tuesday night, Kirkwood received 105 of the 194 votes cast, or 54 percent. Samuel Torrey received 73 votes, or 38 percent. James Strabala received 8 percent of the total with 15 votes. There was one write-in vote cast, but the line beside the write-in oval was left blank.

Riverside has 733 eligible voters, meaning that 26 percent of those eligible to vote did so. 188 of the votes were cast at the polling place, whereas six votes were cast via absentee ballot.

The results of the election will not be official until the votes are canvassed next Tuesday. The winner of the special election will serve through at least the end of December.  

Kirkwood was appointed to the council in June to fill a vacancy left by the death of councilor Betty Kaalberg.