This story has been updated to correct incorrect reporting regarding Council member Lori Elmore.
In a very tight special recall election, Whitehall residents on June 23 voted to keep Mayor Michael Bivens by a nearly 100-vote margin.
The status of the two at-large Council members facing recall, Amy Harcar and Lori Elmore, was less certain, however, according to unofficial results from the Franklin County Board of Elections.
Harcar appeared to have retained her seat by 29 votes, according to unofficial results.
Elmore appeared to have been ousted by a narrow six-vote margin, 1081 to 1075.
However, Elections Director Antone White said 31 outstanding ballots remain to be verified and counted. They include 29 provisional ballots, one overseas ballot, and an absentee ballot that was submitted on time but had an error on the envelope. That absentee ballot can be resubmitted with the correction by 5 p.m. Saturday, White said.
Those 31 ballots could change the outcome for Elmore and for Harcar, though less likely for Harcar.
In addition, White said Elmore’s six-vote loss falls within the 0.5% of the vote requiring a recount.
Bivens was retained by 52% “yes” to 48% “no,” according to unofficial results.
While a council member had been recalled in a special election in 2009, it was the first time in the city’s history that a sitting mayor was the target of a recall attempt, according to Bivens.
Elmore struck a defiant tone once the results were announced and said she would continue advocating for the people of Whitehall – even if it isn’t as a council member.
“I spoke my truth, spoke my voice, and spoke for people who couldn’t speak for themselves,” Elmore said. She said she comes from a background of organizing people and would continue to do so.
The county Board of Elections will have to deal with the 31 outstanding ballots before a scheduled meeting Monday, June 29, of the board to certify the election results. Once the votes are certified and a recount conducted, if Whitehall residents voted “no” on Elmore she will immediately lose her seat on council.
The remainder of council would then appoint a replacement for Elmore to serve in her seat until an election.
Bivens and Harcar, assuming she ends with more “yes” votes to retain than “no,” could not face another recall vote for a year, at which point their seats would be up for election anyway.
The recall, which was announced Jan. 6 by Whitehall for All – a group of local residents – has drawn backlash from some members of the community and even faced a legal challenge in the Ohio Supreme Court. Judges initially ruled the group had not collected enough signatures to move forward. The group later gathered the required number, allowing the recall effort to proceed.
Opponents of the recall, including members of the Franklin County Democratic Party, claimed that the recall was racially motivated, pointing to what they say are racist and xenophobic comments on the Whitehall 411 – Eyes on Government Facebook page by its users. The Facebook page is also associated with Whitehall for All.
Bivens is Whitehall’s first Black mayor, and Elmore is the first African American to serve on the City Council. Harcar, who is white, works with immigrants and refugees at Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services. Supporters of the recall have accused Harcar of prioritizing “illegal immigrants” over American citizens in Whitehall.
Whitehall for All has repeatedly accused the trio of corruption, financial mismanagement, and of being controlled by Columbus politicos. Neither the group nor the organizers of the recall – Holly Stein and Patricia Balser – have provided evidence to support their claims.
Shaquille Alexander, the city auditor, and Trevel Balser, the city treasurer and Patricia Balser’s husband, have both stated during city council meetings that the city’s finances are the best they’ve been in years.
Recall supporters of have also aimed at the Department of Neighborhoods, a nascent initiative by the mayor that he says will help alleviate poverty and access to resources for Whitehall residents. Supporters of the recall, as well as some city council members, have called it redundant and a waste of money. The department represents 0.3% of the city’s 2026 budget.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Whitehall mayor retains seat, outcome uncertain for 2 at-large council members
Reporting by Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
