It’s rare for a write-in candidate to win a seat on the Winooski City Council. But Hal Colston did just that on Tuesday.
“It was just kind of, wow,” Colston said Wednesday. “It just … reinforced for me that this is my time to step in and serve.”
The nonprofit exec got into the campaign in early February, after the deadline to get on the ballot had passed. He distributed stickers, posters and postcards to help people vote for him. When 537 people did, Colston claimed one of two council seats that were up for grabs.
Kristine Lott, who was listed on the ballot, won the other seat. She was the top vote-getter, with 607 ballots.
Ebony Nyoni, who was also listed the ballot, finished third with 347 votes.
Nyoni is an activist and the director of Black Lives Matter Vermont. Seven Days wrote about her legal dispute with a South Burlington woman in a February 21 story about the council race.
Contacted Wednesday, Nyoni declined to comment. “I have no interest in talking to you,” she said. “Go to hell.”
Colston said he planned to reach out to Nyoni.
“She obviously had a number of people who supported her candidacy,” he said. “As I’ve said all along, I really want to be a voice for everyone … I certainly will reach out to her and let her know that’s why I’m here.”
Colston and Lott will be sworn in for two-year terms on March 19.
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I was simply going by this article
https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/winoos…
where it seemed Nyoni was set to claim one of the two vacant seats. The article referenced above is published and her chances went out the window. Maybe the facts are true, probably they are, and I imagine bringing them out in the article referenced above was the catalyst for Nyoni losing. Hence, I can understand her anger and yes, I think it is appropriate to say the article had something to do with it.
I guess the silly tale would have been sillier if it hadn’t been factually accurate, Mt. Philo.
“Seven Days sort of derailed her campaign by publishing that silly tale of her lawsuit.”
You don’t know anything about Winooski, but that didn’t stop you from declaring that Seven Days derailed Nyoni’s campaign? You just acknowledged that there was no basis for your statement. Did you do a survey to find out how many Winooski voters read the story and how many voters’ minds it changed?
In addition, it was entirely appropriate for 7D to publish an important story on the character of one of the candidates running for Winooski City Council.
Super duper. Congratulations
That’s just baloney.
Care to elaborate? I don’t follow Winooski and don’t vote there so I am open to being enlightened, however baloney just doesn’t cut it.
“Seven Days sort of derailed her campaign by publishing that silly tale of her lawsuit.”
That’s just baloney.
I don’t know Ebony at all but I get her anger. Seven Days sort of derailed her campaign by publishing that silly tale of her lawsuit. Maybe she would have lost anyway, though. Hard saying.
What a crude woman Ebony “Go To Hell” Nyoni must be. It looks as if Winooski just dodged a bullet! If she’s the local spokesperson for Black Lives Matters, then that movement is doomed.
Hard to win write-ins, but it happens! Yay, Hal.
Congrats to Hal for a successful write-in campaign. He is a true servant to humanity and to the community. And Winooski is better off without a no-class politician who would tell the news media to “go to hell.” We’ve already got that in the White House.