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By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune November 04. 2014 8:57PM Despite uproar, incumbents leading in Phoenix PHOENIX —  A heated campaign for the mayor's seat and three council positions ended with incumbents victorious in their bid for re-election. Based on Tuesday night results from the Jackson County Elections Office, incumbent Mayor Jeff Bellah held fast to his seat with 60.6 percent of the votes (832) to challenger Terry Helfrich's 39.1 percent (536). Bellah said the results were "affirmation that we're doing some good things." "We've had some outside distractions — for instance, on the medical marijuana issue — and now we're back in sync and getting things done," Bellah said. "Everybody is focused on the downtown and development of the land on the east side of the freeway once the interchange is done. We have a lot of good things going." Helfrich said he would hold out for final election numbers. "The outcome we will know in the morning. I will say that no matter what that outcome is, the citizens have chosen the future of Phoenix for the next few years," said Helfrich, who will maintain his council position if he loses the mayor's race. "I just have to support what the citizens decide. If I don't win, I guess we'll look at it again in another two years." For a trio of council positions, incumbents commanded the lion's share of some 3,576 ballots cast. Voters were asked to choose three of six. Chris Luz garnered the highest voter favor, with 804 votes, or 22.5 percent, followed by Karen Jones, with 755 (21.1 percent) and Bruce Sophie, with 622 (17.4 percent). Newcomer Judith Grillo led the trio of challengers with 490 votes (13.7 percent). Melissa Wagy garnered 473 votes (13.2 percent) and Steve Schulman got 423 (11.8 percent). "Citizens rejected the negative campaigning and appreciated the positive work that's been done the past few years," Luz said. Sophie said election results proved the council, criticized for its handling of medical marijuana and urban renewal issues, had "done a lot of positive." "When people vote, you're seeing their values show, and that's what's important," Sophie said. "Now hopefully we can all get back to working as one team again because the potential is so great the next couple of years for Phoenix."   http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20141104/NEWS/141109832 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->