Incumbent Urbana City Clerk Phyllis Clark defeated challenger John “J.J.” Farney by winning 55 percent of the votes cast for the city’s most visible race in Tuesday’s elections as Democrats swept both contested city council wards up for vote.

Ward 5 incumbent Dennis Roberts and Brandon Bowersox, a newcomer in Ward 4, both won their seats by winning well over 70 percent of the votes cast.

Clark, who has been city clerk since 1993, expressed enthusiasm about the results.

“It makes me feel good to know that the citizens wanted me to keep my job,” Clark said.

Clark said that her first priority in her next term was improving technology in the office, though she said the city’s budget constraints could slow progress.

Farney expressed frustration about the difficulty Republicans in Urbana had in the election.

“If voters in Urbana will vote for someone who doesn’t pay (sewer) taxes and doesn’t show up to work, they’ll vote for anyone with a ‘D’ after their name,” Farney said.

Clark’s sewer tax bill had been overdue, but she has since paid the bill. Clark said that she sometimes goes into work late because she volunteers at local schools, but makes up the hours in the evening.

Farney vowed that Democrats will not get a free pass in the next term, and that he will be an active voice at future city council meetings.

“The Republican party is coming back to Urbana,” Farney said.

Roberts was officially elected as the Ward 5 representative, as well, defeating Louis “Bud” Mesker. He was appointed to the Urbana City Council in December after Laura Huth – former Ward 5 representative – resigned.

Roberts said he has enjoyed the interaction he has had with his constituents, and that the election had not been too stressful for him.

“I figure you just show up, be honest, do what you want need to do and accept the results,” Roberts said.

Brandon Bowersox, who defeated Anna Marie Wall Scott, said he found that many of his constituents in Ward 4 agreed with his issues.

“The most striking thing to me was the solid support for historic preservation in neighborhoods and business and community policing on Philo Road,” Bowersox said.

In the one contested School District election, Benita Gay defeated Jerry Moreland. Also, Nancy Delcomyn was elected Urbana Park Board Commissioner.

Democrats Charlie Smyth, Danielle Chynoweth, Robert Lewis and Lynne Barnes were elected to the Urbana City Council in uncontested elections. Republican Heather Stevenson, daughter of Republican Congressman Tim Johnson, R-Ill., also won the Ward 6 City Council seat in an uncontested election.

Democrat Laurel Prussing, who defeated incumbent mayor Tod Satterthwaite in Urbana’s primary election on Feb. 22, was also officially elected mayor in an uncontested election.

Prussing said she was enthusiastic about the results of the election.

“I think we are going to have a much better relationship between the mayor and the council, and between council members,” she said.

She said that she will be training for her new position with the five newly elected aldermen before they take office on May 2.