Winnebago voters made history during the general election held on Nov. 5.
During the City Council meeting held Tuesday night, election results were canvassed and City Administrator Judi Hynes reported that Jean Anderson, who ran unopposed, was the first woman to ever be elected as the city’s mayor.
Anderson was appointed to fill the mayoral position when Scott Robertson resigned last February.
At the time, she had served nearly 12 years as a council member and was the vice-mayor.
A volunteer at the Winnebago Museum, Anderson says while looking at a roster of the city’s mayors since 1856 she noticed that she was the first woman mayor.
Anderson says she’s very proud to be from Winnebago and feels that at this time of her life it’s time to give back to the community.
“We have lots of work ahead of us and I can only hope that I, as a woman, can generate interest in our future potential female community advocates to continue to serve,” she says.
Of the 725 registered voters in Winnebago, says Hynes, 592 cast their vote in person and 78 voted absentee. She says 101 people registered to vote on election day.
Anderson was elected to a two-year term with 479 votes and there were 99 write-in votes. Incumbents Chris Anderson and Tony O’Donnell were elected to four-year term council seats with 378 and 259 votes, respectively.