OXFORD — Marc Vanderwood of Oxford appears to have unseated Oxford County Treasurer Roy Gedat of Norway in Tuesday’s balloting.
Vanderwood, a Republican, received 12,362 votes, while Gedat, a Democrat, garnered 11,863, with tallies from Albany Township and Upton yet to be reported. Vanderwood’s margin of victory is, so far, 499 votes.
The combined number of registered voters from Upton and Albany Township is just over 400.
Both candidates appeared to acknowledge Vanderwood, 44, emerged the victor, but were cautious from declaring one way or another until the vote is made official.
“There shouldn’t be enough to sway it, but I’m not celebrating,” Vanderwood said.
Gedat, who said he was disappointed with the results, said he would not request a recount should his opponent prove the winner.
“I’ve offered him my services in the transition,” Gedat said.
“It was a good year for Republicans,” he said.
A manager at an IT company, Vanderwood themed his campaign on bringing private-sector business savvy into Oxford County. With a background on implementing and training others to use data system software, Vanderwood decided to run for office believing that the county’s accounting practices are outdated. It would be his first public office position.
Gedat took over from William True in 2009, before defeating opponent William C. Hine II at the polls in 2010. Before making the public-sector swap, he worked for a number of years managing health care nonprofits.
ccrosby@sunjournal.com
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