Todd Whitney won Tuesday's special election in Richardton.
There were two candidates pursuing a partial-term seat on Richardton's city council.
Shannon Chambers received 28 votes, and Whitney received 60 votes. The seat on the council is a partial two-year term.
Whitney, owner and operator of Todd's Honey Farm, LLC, in Richardton, said he was grateful for Richardton's voters.
"They came out in the cold and risked getting frostbite to vote for me," he said. "Without them, I wouldn't have made it!"
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Whitney was originally appointed to the city council in February 2018 to replace an outgoing member.
"There was a member who resigned from the board and they were looking for a fill-in," he explained.
An error in his appointment, though, resulted in him having to resign in August.
"I ended up resigning and having to run again for the special election," Whitney said. "It was the only time I had been on a board."
With an opening on the city council, the announcement was made in November that a special election would be held.
When the opportunity came to run for public office, Whitney was inspired to seize it.
"I've always had my own political opinions about what should be done in the city," he said. "My wife said, instead of complaining about it, why don't you do something about it? So this is where I'm at."
Among the many projects being tackled by the Richardton City Council, Whitney is excited to continue work on the city's roads and new school building.
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"There's plenty of things going on and I'm glad I'm involved," he said.
There were no problems in carrying out the special election, City Auditor Marcy Kuntz said.
"It went great. It went really smooth," she said. "I was really pleased with it."
Whitney said it was an honor to be formally elected to the Richardton council.
"It feels great to be able to serve the city," he said. "That's for sure."
