The downtown District 8 primary narrowed the pool of candidates in the most contested City Council election to Austin King and Jeff Erlanger.
Progressive Dane candidate and UW-Madison senior King came in first with 57 percent of the vote. King said he was surprised with his landslide win.
\I was a rather impressed and a little shocked,"" he said of the margin of victory. ""The outpouring of voters was incredible, especially since we are not the most fundraising campaign.""
Erlanger, who nabbed second place with 20 percent of the vote, said he was pleased with the outcome because he and his opponent have promised not to resort to mudslinging.
""It's going to be a good race,"" Erlanger said. ""I hope me and Austin are able to keep the race positive because the voters deserve that.""
Both candidates promised to keep campaigning hard in the upcoming months prior to the general election April 1. They vowed to keep the lines of communication open to the public.
""We're going to keep on doing what we've been doing like talking to voters,"" King said.
Erlanger also committed himself to reaching the constituents.
Last-place finisher Matt Berry said he was not surprised with the outcome of the election because Progressive Danes are usually the most active supporters. He also said he was not disappointed with his loss because he had fun, and he did not campaign. Berry said he will endorse Jeff Erlanger in the general election.
Another losing candidate, Nathan Naze, said his campaign was run well considering its minimal resources.
""I wish Austin luck, because he's going to have a difficult campaign ahead of him because he's facing a well-funded opponent,"" said Naze, who did not endorse either candidate.
Naze said that of the six candidates running, Jeff Erlanger, with more than $10,000, raised the most money. King said his campaign is not as well-funded.
Another defeated candidate, Frank Harris, said he would endorse King and commended him on his grassroots campaign. Harris said he was sure King would win the general election.
On the other hand, another vanquished candidate, Michael Hanson, said he would not endorse any candidate yet.
""I'm extremely disappointed with the results,"" he said.
Both primary winners said they are optimistic about their chances in the upcoming election, and Erlanger said either candidate would make a good choice.
But King said, ""I'm pretty sure of who fits the district vote best.""
The difference between the candidates, Erlanger said, is technique rather than ideology.
""On every issue,"" he said, ""I will push until I notice it's time to step down.\
