Final, unofficial returns from early voting and all Burlington precincts show the November mayor’s race is likely to be hotly-contested race. Incumbent mayor Ian Baltutis and councilman Jim Butler are locked in a close race with Baltutis leading in the primary by 14 votes (1,568 to 1,554). Running far behind and eliminated from the November contest are Donna Vanhook (385), Walter Boyd (264), and Caleb J. Massey (203).   Polls closed at 7:30 p.m.
Turnout was 25 percent higher than the last primary that involved both city council seats and the mayor’s post, in 2017. In that year, 3,198 residents went to the polls for the October primary; this year, 3,999 voters turned out, according to unofficial returns on Election Night.
Meanwhile, former mayor Ronnie Wall led all city council candidates with 1,799 votes. The next three highest vote-getters were clustered within 29 votes of one another. Activist Dejuana Warren Bigelow had 1,622; councilman Harold Owen received 1,600; and former county commissioner Bob Byrd had 1,573.
Eliminated from the November city council ballot were Wendy Jordan (with 608 votes) and Charlie Beasley (with 366), who ran behind the other four.
