Three Win Marathon City Council Seats in Low‑Turnout Election
Unofficial results from the City of Marathon General Election show Debra Tyner Struyf, Robyn Still and Lynn Landry as the top three vote‑getters for the three open council seats, in an election marked by low turnout and narrow margins. With canvassing of provisional ballots and a scheduled manual audit still pending, final results could shift and the outcome will shape local policy decisions affecting Monroe County residents.
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Unofficial returns from the City of Marathon General Election indicate that Debra Tyner Struyf, Robyn Still and Lynn Landry finished as the top three vote‑getters for the three open Marathon City Council seats. Struyf led the field with 939 votes (21.18%), followed by Still with 761 votes (17.16%) and Landry with 719 votes (16.22%). Other candidates received the following totals: William “David” Perry 683, Jeff Smith 661, Greg Robinson 419 and Gerrit C. Hale 252.
All five city precincts reported results, with a total of 1,670 ballots cast out of 5,628 registered voters, producing a turnout of 29.67%. Because these are unofficial results, the city has scheduled canvassing of provisional ballots on Nov. 7 and a manual audit on Nov. 13; those processes could alter final tallies, particularly where margins are narrow. The third seat, where Landry received 719 votes and Perry received 683, is decided by a 36‑vote margin — small enough that provisional ballots or audit adjustments could be decisive.
The race will determine the composition of Marathon’s council at a time when city decisions continue to shape local development, infrastructure, environmental resilience and municipal budgeting. Voters in Monroe County will see the immediate impacts at the local level, as council members set policy and priorities for city services, permit approvals and fiscal planning that affect residents, businesses and seasonal economies.
Low voter participation is a central takeaway from these results. With fewer than three in ten registered voters casting ballots, the council will be seated on the basis of a relatively small portion of the electorate. That dynamic raises questions about representativeness and the degree to which elected officials reflect broader community preferences. For local governance, low turnout can produce sharper consequences when close margins determine outcomes and small blocs of voters have outsized influence.
The canvass of provisional ballots and the manual audit are standard parts of the certification process designed to ensure accuracy and public confidence in the vote. Until those steps are completed and results certified by election officials, the city will treat reported totals as unofficial. Once certified, newly elected council members will begin the transition into office and prepare to address local priorities identified by the community and municipal staff.
For residents, the election underscores the impact of civic participation. The narrow vote differentials and modest turnout mean that future council decisions will be shaped in part by those who engaged in this election — and by those who did not. Monroe County voters seeking to influence local policy will have opportunities in upcoming meetings, public comment periods and future elections to shape the council’s agenda.
