HUTTO — Even though Place 5 Councilwoman Dana Wilcott is asking voters to support her opponent in a June 15 runoff, she will serve if elected, she said.
Wilcott in a field of five candidates received 32.65% percent of the vote in the May 4 municipal balloting, falling short of the 50% margin to claim a clear victory. The runner-up with the most votes is Evan Porterfield with 18.81%, setting the stage for the runoff.
However, shortly after the election results came in, Wilcott posted a message on her socialmedia account asking her followers to back Porterfield in the next contest instead of her.
“Over the last few days, the rhetoric has been dialed up to a level that I just cannot continue to engage in,” Wilcott wrote, citing her family’s concerns for her health and well-being.
“I am asking my supporters to do just one more thing for me: Cast your vote for Evan Porterfield in the runoff. I truly want our community to rally around this new community leader and support him in his first term,” she added. “Evan and I disagree on a lot of things, but I think just about anyone who puts their hat in the ring wants to do so for altruistic reasons.”
Wilcott said she will not formally withdraw from the runoff, and if she is elected, she will continue to serve.
The first-term City Council member cited a contentious relationship with Mayor Mike Snyder as one reason she has reservations about taking office again.
“The lies and attacks on myself and other community members has taken its toll,” she said.
Wilcott added she feels a need to protect her family.
Both Snyder and Wilcott have had public clashes in the past.
“As I’ve said before, if you want Hutto continually in the news and accusations running around everywhere, vote for Dana,” the mayor wrote in an April 27 social-media post. “The people of Hutto just want a focus on roads, water and lower taxes.”
Candidates in a runoff have until 5 p.m. the third day after the votes are canvassed to file the paperwork to remove their names from a ballot.
According to the Hutto website, the votes will be canvassed on or before May 15.
Early voting for the runoff election is May 29 to June 11.
