Jenny Gain Meyer

Four years after she made history by defeating a longtime incumbent to become Belleville’s first female mayor, Patty Gregory was ousted from the mayor’s chair by a former political supporter and sitting city clerk.

Voter turnout was only about 15 percent, but the ballots cast went overwhelmingly for challenger Jenny Gain Meyer.

According to results from the St. Clair County Clerk’s Office, Meyer had garnered 3,399 votes (63 percent) to Gregory’s 1,972 votes. The totals included all early voting, all ballots cast on Election Day and some mail-in ballots.

All indications are that Meyer will have some support on the City Council as she moves forward in office.

A Meyer supporter, Georgianna “Gigi” Dowling-Urban, was ahead in the race for 2nd Ward City Councilperson, with 56 percent of the vote, although she leads her opponent, incumbent Jamie Eros, by just 39 votes, 247-206.

Yet another Meyer ally, Kathy Kaiser, won the three-candidate race for 5th Ward City Councilperson, with 61 percent of the vote. Unofficial tallies had Kaiser ahead of Ashley Pollock 571 votes to 230 votes.

The race to replace Meyer as city clerk saw Meyer ally Michelle “Shelly” Schaefer taking 3,620 votes (69 percent) to Gregory’s endorsed candidate, Irma Golliday, who received 1,589 votes.