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November 10, 2009

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Armstrong, O’Neill, advance to general election in Sparks mayor’s race

Wednesday, May 5, 1999 | 3:34 a.m.

Tony Armstrong won a majority of votes in Tuesday's primary, outpacing his nearest challenger, Peggy O'Neill, by a margin of 55.9 percent to 39.8 percent of votes cast in the four-way race.

State law provides that in cities with populations of 5,000 or more, a candidate who receives more than 50 percent of the vote in a primary is the only one to advance to the general election.

But City Attorney Chet Adams on Wednesday said that law is contrary to the Sparks City Charter, which says the two top vote getters in a primary advance to the general.

Adams said he researched the issue early Wednesday and consulted with the state attorney general's office.

He said he and others agreed that when the city charter is more specific than general state law, the city charter prevails.

That means Armstrong and O'Neill will face each other in the general election next month, Adams said.

"It's essentially giving our voters a greater opportunity to select a candidate of their choosing," Adams said of the charter's provision.

In the Ward 4 race, Dave Stefan will face off against Mike Carrigan on June 8 to replace outgoing council member Cindy Henderson.

Stefan received 39 percent of the vote in a field of six candidates, while Carrigan came in second with 19 percent.

The primary balloting in that race was restricted to voters who live in Ward 4. The candidates, however, will face voters citywide in the general.

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