Elections of City Councils Past

Mayor Robert J. DiPietro (left) and the City Council at the 1980 election results: Jim Cross, President, Lynn Roehrich, Dani Duniho, H. Edward Ricks, and Hal Ammann.

This being election season for the Laurel City Council, I thought it a great time to share some local campaign materials that my wife, Martha, and I have found over the years.

Occasionally, political memorabilia from the distant and not-so-distant past turns up at yard sales, or are mixed in with photos, newspapers, and other ephemera. They provide a printed record of the candidates who both ran for office and were elected by the citizens of Laurel, and for that reason remain an important part of any local historical collection.

In reviewing some of the pieces I’ve discovered from decades ago, I noticed an interesting detail—there were more than the two wards that we currently have. In fact, there were twice as many.

To run for City Council, candidates needed only to live in one of the four wards. However, they were all elected to be Councilmembers At-Large, meaning that they would represent the entire city, as opposed to only the ward in which they were elected.

Likewise, residents were expected to cast votes for candidates in all four wards—not just their own, as we do today. The rationale seemed to be that no single ward would be deemed underserved or stacked with political talent, and that every resident truly had a voice in electing the representatives of our city.

Today, we’re fortunate to have a diverse group of city leaders who both care about Laurel and work well together, setting a good example for us all. Here’s wishing each of the candidates the best of luck, and if you’re a resident within the city limits, please be sure to get out and vote!   

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Pete Lewnes is a founding member of The Laurel History Boys, and a prolific collector of Laurel historical memorabilia from all eras.