3 incumbent Belfast city councilors win reelection

Three incumbents of the Belfast City Council won their reelection races on Tuesday , in each case beating out a challenger.

The winners in the election were councilors Mary Mortier in Ward 1 (1,885 votes), Neal Harkness in Ward 2 (1,761 votes) and Paul Dean in Ward 5 (1,612 votes), according to unofficial results Tuesday night

Their challengers were, respectively, Christopher Hyk (1,499 votes), Johanna Peterson (1,458 votes) and David August (1,308 votes).

Mortier, a real estate agent and self-described budget hawk, will serve her seventh term on the council. Harkness, a driver for Mid-Coast Public Transportation who has been involved with numerous area organizations, will begin his sixth term. Dean, a Belfast native who previously led the city's comprehensive plan committee, will enter his third term.

Hyk, who identified himself as a conservationist, had run for council in part due to his opposition to Nordic Aquafarms' stalled-out efforts to build a fish farm in the city. August, a self-employed contractor, had hoped to address issues surrounding housing and tax fairness. Peterson, who works as a registered nurse, did not share information about her platform prior to the race.

Each winner is set to serve two-year terms on the five-member panel.