Unofficial election results indicate Emrick to serve as Vienna’s mayor
From left, candidates Chad Emrick and Tony Morrison watch the live results of the election at the Wood County Courthouse in Parkersburg on Tuesday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)
VIENNA — According to the unofficial results of the 2024 General Election, Chad Emrick won his first term as mayor of Vienna on Tuesday, while Vienna City Council seats filled with incumbent Jim Leach and various new members. From the results available from the Wood County Clerk’s office, Emrick received 2,017 votes while his opponents, incumbent Mayor Randy Rapp received 1,760 votes and Councilwoman Kim Williams received 1,286 votes. “This campaign has been so tremendous and now we’re here, bringing it all together, I can’t describe it,” said Emrick Tuesday evening. “So many things had to happen to bring me to this point and I believe that our community was ready for change.” Emrick was quick to discuss his plans for Vienna’s future with hopes to serve as much of the community as possible. “(I want to) take care of every resident, regardless of where they live, what their income is … I see all residents equally and I believe Vienna, as a whole, came to believe that.” Emrick said he plans to work with the new council members as they all navigate their new positions. He hopes there will be a way to ensure there is no division in the governing system of Vienna. He also gave a statement to the other candidates involved in the mayoral race. “We went through a lot over these past few months in campaigning,” said Emrick. “All of that is behind us now, I look forward to coming together, working together and building a great future for Vienna.” Rapp, who has held three terms as the mayor for Vienna, shared his sentiments about the election and his plans following Emrick’s succession as mayor. “I’ve spent 20 years with the city and it’s been a privilege to work with some of the city employees … they’re the greatest asset this city has and I’m going to miss the people I worked with,” said Rapp. “Vienna is a great town … when you look around and see the things that we have and the conditions we live in, it’s fantastic. I have enjoyed it thoroughly … but life goes on. I have three grandsons, I’m gonna enjoy working with them and watching them grow up.” Williams shared her feelings on the race results. “I’m disappointed in the outcome, but I’m not disappointed in the race I ran or my service to Vienna at all,” said Williams. Gwen Sour can be reached at gsour@newsandsentinel.com