Just 3 Votes Apart: Cox, Montgomery Wait for Urbandale Recount

"It's official," Ron Hurd announced to the group of about 30 supporters gathered at Murphy's Bar and Grill Tuesday night. "Creighton Cox is elected to City Council."

Cox, 36, across the room on the phone, had not come to the same conclusion. 
Polk County Election office returns said he led Tony Montgomery by 3 votes, but Cox wasn't sure that guaranteed him a seat on the council.

"As close as it is, I would assume there's going to be an automatic recount," he said. 

Urbandale residents re-elected incumbents Mike Carver and Tom Gayman, each with more than 1,000 votes, but the two challengers for a third seat on the council were uncertain just what the vote totals meant for them.

Cox received 899 votes and Montgomery received 896. Watching the returns come in via computer made for a nail-biting night. With 11 of 13 precincts in, Cox led Montgomery by 58 votes.  Then Montgomery pulled ahead by one vote when the 12th precinct was counted.

Cox said he hadn't yet spoken with Polk County election officials but he understands that absentee ballots postmarked today still are valid and could be counted within the next few days.

Montgomery, 37, said Tuesday night: "In my list of possible scenarios, this was not one of them. I'm just playing it by ear. I'm kind of learning the protocol as we go along."

Mayor Robert Andeweg, who stopped by Cox's gathering said he hasn't seen this close a vote in his 12 years in city government.

"That was a pretty incredible race," said Councilman Mike Carver who was the top vote-getter with 1097 votes. He said it may be several days before the outcome will be certain.

"Until the vote is certified, it's really not a done deal," he said. "It very well might stay but you just don't know."

"I've always believed that every vote counts," said Carver, who hasn't missed voting in an election since 1966. "I guess this proves it true."

Cox's supporter Hurd believes that's true: "Three votes: that's me, my wife and my son."