Voters decisively ousted the two incumbents in Tuesday’s Manhattan City Commission race and elected candidates who promised to trim the budget and lower taxes.

Incumbents Jayme Minton and Peter Oppelt came in fifth and seventh, respectively out of nine candidates running for three positions on the commission, according to unofficial final results from Riley County.

Former Kansas State Foundation employee Larry Fox won the race with 3,709 votes, retired attorney Jim Morrison came in second with 3,500, and social worker Andrew Von Lintel was third with 2,681. However, business owner Amber Starling was close behind with 2,642. 

In the rest of the field, Minton tallied 2,110 votes; Scott Seel had 2,101; Oppelt had 1,920; Martha Sweeney had 1,547; and Abena Taylor had 610.

The top three will replace Minton, Oppelt and commissioner John Matta, who did not seek re-election, when their terms expire in January. 

“I think that I ran a very clean campaign and I worked my hardest to get out and talk to voters and meet folks and I have served myself and my community proudly the last two years,” Oppelt said Tuesday night at a watch party at Manhattan Brewing Company. “I did everything I could do, and the folks that participated today chose to go a different direction.” 

Fox, Morrison and Von Lintel all were endorsed by the conservative political action committee Our Manhattan. 

The top two in voting will receive four-year terms, while the third place in voting will receive a two-year term on the commission.

School board

As for the USD 383 school board, incumbent Jayme Morris-Hardeman has won another term with 3,707 votes. The winners of the other two seats are former USD 383 director of business services Lew Faust with 3,627 and doctoral student Courtney Jane Hochman with 2,785. 

Leah McKeeman came in fourth with 2,414 votes, and Tom Drummond tallied 2,164.

Board members Karla Hagemeister and Christine Weixelman did not file for re-election.

“I am really excited to be elected by this wonderful community,” Hochman said Tuesday during a watch party. “Friends and neighbors spoke with their votes, and I’m excited for where the school board will go from here.” 

County officials will have the final results after certification of the election, which can take up to 30 days.