Subject: [NEXTEL-1] From Nextel Manager To Mayoral Candidate

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 22:36:47 -0400

From Nextel Manager To Mayoral Candidate

City elects its first woman mayor

She's also Covington's first GOP leader

Sunday May 04, 2003

By Charlie Chapple
St. Tammany bureau

Candace Watkins, Covington's former downtown development director,
defeated businessman Mike Cooper on Saturday to win the mayor's race,
according to complete but unofficial election results.

Watkins, a former banking executive and home builder, led a
five-candidate field in the April 5 primary and rode that momentum to
victory. Cooper, the son of former Mayor Ernest J. Cooper, who retired
after 24 years in 1991, made up ground in the runoff but fell 263 votes
short.

Voter turnout was 52 percent.

Watkins will become the city's first Republican and first woman mayor
July 1 as she succeeds three-term Mayor Keith Villere, who could not
seek re-election because of term limits.

"I love you all and I love Covington," Watkins told a jubilant crowd of
supporters who chanted, "Candy! Candy! Candy!"

"We're going to make this the best four years ever in Covington," Watkins
said. "I had so many people working and walking for me. And my husband
(Trevor), God bless him."

Cooper made a brief appearance at the victory party and offered his
congratulations and support.

"It's a democratic process and the people have spoken," he told a somber
group of his supporters.

Watkins was downtown development director from 1997 to 2001 and
resigned as marketing vice president for a local bank to run for mayor.
Seeking her first elective office, she pledged to map out a long-term plan
to improve city streets and drainage and vowed to address city traffic
problems and improve recreation.

Cooper resigned as chairman of the city Planning and Zoning Commission
and as district sales manager for Nextel Communications to run for
mayor.

The defeat is Cooper's third in three tries at public office. He ran for the old
St. Tammany Parish Police Jury in 1987 and for the state Senate in 1995.

13 of 13 precincts Votes Pct.

Candace Watkins-R 1,690 54

Mike Cooper-R 1,427 46

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http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1052029668308210.xml

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