By Jared Edgerton, Contributing Writer

The May 17th primaries for the Republican mayoral candidate and Democratic City Council Second District seat will remain unresolved until next week after the absentee ballots are recorded and the official vote count is finished.

Karen Brown, the endorsed Republican candidate, is ahead of Republican committee person John Featherman with 8,274 votes to 8,217 a difference of 57 votes. Brown, a lifelong Democrat, changed parties a month ago to seek the Republican nomination for mayor.

And as of Thursday Kenyatta Johnson, a State Representative, leads Community Organizer Barbara Capozzi by 72 votes with 7,435 to 7,363 votes .

In both of the races the candidates are separated by less than half a percent.

Featherman waged a populist campaign by challenging Brown’s credentials to run as a Republican and in doing so, positioning himself as a candidate against the political status quo.

Even though Featherman might fall short of defeating Brown he believes, “win or lose” he has “destroyed the party machinery,” calling it the “end of [Republican City Committee leader] Michael Meehan’s dynasty.”

Meehan pushed back against Featherman’s claim in an interview Wednesday, attributing Brown’s disappointing performance to her failure to “get her message out,” stating “she’s been a short-time Republican, but her opponent is a longtime Libertarian, only that didn’t get spread around.”

Brown maintained a low profile during the primary while Featherman rallied using YouTube videos and criticized her for making four bankruptcy filings in the past.

Despite the disappointing turnout, Brown believes she is the “only hope for the party” to win the general election, although, she expressed disappointment over not receiving more Election Day help from the Republican establishment.

District 2

In the Second District the pressure is mounting. Capozzi has described the election commission process as “upsetting” and “disturbing.” She reached out to her supporter through facebook and twitter, and urged them to continue to support her candidacy by helping her “raise funds” and reporting “any irregularities” they saw at the polls.

Capozzi hired two attorneys to ensure the “Second Council District has honest representation” and promised to pursue “all legal actions.”

In a press release Capozzi stepped up her rhetoric accusing Johnson’s voting block as “one of the filthiest,” adding that she vowed to win the election. She also revealed that with some absentee ballots counted this weekend she has narrowed the difference to 60 votes.

Mark Nevin, Johnson’s spokesman, responded to the accusation saying “it is time to respect the will of the voters.”

Johnson also commented, praising Capozzi as a tough competitor adding he feels “when it is all said and done, we’ll still be in the lead.”

Johnson was expected to win the election but Capozzi campaigned hard and on election day made over 25 stops to drive home her get out and vote initiative.

The candidates will have to wait till next week to find out their fate.