Kimberly Ecklund, At-Large, and Anthony Dolce, Ward 2, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Jamestown following their Election Day victories. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

There could be a change in the majority of the Jamestown City Council.

On Tuesday, the unofficial election night results had five Republicans being ahead when the polls closed. Republican incumbents Anthony Dolce, Ward 2; Kimberly Ecklund, At-Large; and Brent Sheldon, Ward 1; were all ahead, with newcomers Grant Olson, Ward 5; and Jeff Russell, At-Large, also leading.

Sheldon only has a seven-vote lead over Tim Smeal, with 70 absentee ballots received by the Chautauqua County Board of Elections as of Election Day. Norm Green, Chautauqua County Board of Elections Democratic election commissioner, said most absentee ballots have seven days after the election to be returned. The exception is military and overseas absentees, which have 13 days to be returned.

Dolce, who was joined by fellow Republican candidates from throughout Chautauqua County at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Jamestown, said it has been a long time (2007) since the Republicans had the majority of the council.

“I look forward to that,” he said following his 13th election victory.

Ecklund also said she looks forward to the possibility of a Republican majority, which is how the council was when she was first elected 16 years ago.

Incumbents Victoria James, Ward 3; Marie Carrubba, Ward 4; and Thomas Nelson, Ward 6, were all re-elected. Tamu Graham-Reinhardt, who was first appointed to the council in January, won her first election to the council.

The unofficial results of the contested races for each ward has Sheldon with a slim lead over Smeal 355 to 348; Carrubba over Brittnay Spry 630 to 576; and Olson over Maria Jones 495 to 397. For the three At-Large positions, Ecklund received 2,712 votes, Russell received 2,483, Graham-Reinhardt 2,173, Gregory Rabb 2,026, Taylor Scott 1,985 and Raven Mason Thompson received 293.