MANSFIELD — Political newcomer Cynthia Daley is the Democratic nominee for Mansfield’s Fourth Ward council representative.
Daley received 50 votes while incumbent Alomar Davenport received 18, according to final, unofficial vote totals from the Richland County Board of Elections.
Both ran as write-in candidates, so their names were not listed on the ballot. A write-in candidate must receive at least 25 votes in the primary to advance to November’s general election.
Daley said she was excited, tired and relieved Tuesday night. But her first attempt at public office isn’t over yet. She’ll will face Harold Wayman, the unopposed GOP candidate, in November.
“I still have a competition coming on. I still need to get more people out to vote,” she said.
“I’m thankful that (the voters) supported me and I appreciate it. I’m going to do the best I can to be one of the best council (members) in Mansfield.”
Daley said the campaign taught her the important of voter education.
“We need to educate people about the process of voting,” she said. “A lot of people said ‘I didn’t see your name, so I didn’t vote.’”
Daley, 56, is an accountant at Healing Arts Counseling Center in Mansfield, a behavioral health and wellness organization. She holds a bachelor of business administration and a master’s in human resource management.
If elected, Daley said her priorities will be addressing gun violence, assisting the elderly and reducing littering and illegal dumping.
Daley serves as treasurer of the Mansfield Unit of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the finance assistant at the New Beginning Full Gospel Church and a board member for the North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC). She is also one of the founders of the Welcome Community Garden at the corner of South Benton Street and Marion Avenue.
She said she believes door-to-door campaigning and mailings helped her secure her spot on the November ticket.
“I did that and I think that helped me a lot,” she said.
