2023 councillor elections: Brunson and Kofi advance to the second round
- Following the unexpected recall of former councillor Liam Zachary, snap councillor elections were held
- Nolan Brunson, the joint candidate of Labour and The Greens, received 37,9% of the vote, followed by independent Rebel Kofi with 34,2%
- Brunson and Kofi will advance to the second round, scheduled for June 30th
Freddie Bonnay - June 18, 2023
In an astonishing turn of events, Councillor Liam Zachary was recalled from his position in Europolis back in February. This recall came as a result of a government decree signed by President Grimwald. However, no specific reason was provided for the recall. Following this recall, elections were held tonight, June 16th to fill the position.
Five candidates were eligible to participate in the race, including Zachary, who ran as an independent candidate. Another independent candidate, Rebel Kofi, gained significant popularity after an article in BBC Elthize and his appearance in the LNN television debate. Kofi's campaign highlighted a neutrality motion for Elthize, which resonated with the public. At Elthic Affairs, we are committed to providing detailed coverage of the councillor elections.
What caused the elections?
On February 24, 2023, Liam Zachary, who had been serving as the Councillor for Elthize since April 2022, was recalled by the Elthic government. President Grimwald signed the recall without providing any reason for the decision.
In April 2022, when Elthize joined the European Union, the Elected and Accountable Council Act (EACA) mandated that the position of Councillor should be subject to an election. Consequently, elections for the councillor position were held in Elthize concurrently with the presidential and parliamentary elections.
Although the EACA was repealed in August of the same year, the Elthic law remained based on the EACA and was not amended after the repeal. As a result, the Elthic law specified that elections should be held within the same year in which a councillor was recalled. Accordingly, elections for the councillor position were scheduled for June 16th, and it was announced that May Hobbes would temporarily replace Zachary until the elections took place.
Furthermore, on March 8, 2023, the Elthic Senate successfully overrode Grimwald's veto on certain reforms concerning councillor elections. Specifically, the reform introduced a two-round system for the councillor elections: If no candidate received over 40% of the vote, a runoff election would be held with the two candidates that gathered the most votes. This election would take place two weeks after the first one (For these elections, the second round is planned to be held on June 30th).
Who are the candidates?
The finalized list of candidates included five people: Nolan Brunson, Liam Zachary, May Hobbes, Rebel Kofi and Leon den Hollander.
Nolan Brunson
Nolan Brunson, the joint Labour-Greens candidate for the councillor elections, began his political career as a community organizer in Montgomery. He gained significant attention in 2014 when one of his tweets about that year's general elections went viral, helping him establish himself as a popular blogger. This increased visibility led to his appointment as the social media manager for the Labour Party in 2017, where he played a role in Wirt Harland's successful presidential campaign in 2018.
Brunson ran as the Labour-Greens candidate in the 2022 councillor elections and was defeated by Zachary by six points. He was later appointed to the National Assembly in the same year.
As a councillor, Brunson promises to prioritize the middle and working classes of Elthize, believing that both Zachary and Hobbes focus only on corporate interests. He strongly criticized Zachary's opposition to the Elected and Accountable Council Act (EACA) and Sofia Cikarova's anti-private prison bill. Brunson's platform claims to centre around advocating for policies that address the concerns and needs of the majority of Elthize's population, aiming to foster a more inclusive and equitable society.
Liam Zachary
The former councillor, Zachary, has decided to run as an independent candidate in the upcoming election.
Zachary had an extensive political career before his tenure as a councillor. He served three terms in the National Assembly, initially being elected in 2012 and successfully re-elected in 2014 and 2018. In 2019, he assumed the role of Minister of Membership to the European Union.
During the councillor candidate selection process in March 2022, Zachary was chosen as the candidate representing the ruling coalition comprising The Third Option, New Democracy, and The Nationals. He emerged as the victor, defeating his primary opponent, Nolan Brunson.
In his current campaign, Zachary is not relying on promises but rather highlighting what he perceives as an injustice against him. He claims that his recall was unlawful and an "obstruction of Elthic people's will." During the LNN debate, Zachary stated, "You know, if we lived in a proper democracy, I wouldn't even need to be on this debate. I've already been chosen, and I'll be chosen again."
Interestingly, Zachary is also endorsed by The Nationals, with Devon Albert, the former councillor candidate of the party, suing the Elthic government in the European Court of Justice for supposedly violating the EU constitution.
May Hobbes
The former Speaker of the Senate, May Hobbes, is seeking to extend her term as Councillor.
Hobbes had an academic background before entering politics, earning her doctorate in political science from the University of St. Lucas in April 1999. In 2002, she joined the New Democracy party and was elected as a senator. She went on to serve as the Speaker of the Senate in both 2018 and 2022.
After Zachary's recall, Hobbes was initially appointed as the "interim councillor" by the Elthic government. However, in April of this year, this designation was quietly removed, and she is now regarded as a regular councillor under the law. Regardless, Hobbes is no common councillor. She stands out from other candidates due to her appointment, and her legitimacy is questioned by many in Elthize, particularly among the supporters of Liam Zachary, whose campaign overshadowed hers throughout the election period.
Rebel Kofi
Rebel Kofi, a former local politician, psychologist, and journalist, is seeking neutrality for Elthize.
Kofi's political journey began at a young age when he entered the local political scene in Marshee in Southern Counties. Supported by his uncle, he joined the town council at the age of sixteen. However, he decided to leave this position at nineteen to pursue his studies in psychology and political science while also working for the local newspaper.
In 2007, Kofi started working as a psychologist at St. Lucas Central Hospital while maintaining his engagement in politics. He began a blog in 2008, providing commentary on Elthic politics, which he continued until 2013. In that same year, he transitioned to a career in journalism when he joined The Tribunal, where he worked until 2016. In 2018, Kofi made an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the National Assembly.
During his campaign, Kofi prioritized the idea of neutrality for Elthize. He pledges to submit a neutrality motion within his first thirty days in office. While he doesn't seem to have other significant policies, his message has resonated with a lot of Elthics, who, in Kofi's terms, "do not want to be a pawn of ECON or Telum".
Leon den Hollander
Leon den Hollander, the leader of The Crimson, Elthize's communist party, is running as a joint councillor candidate alongside the Socialist Alliance.
Den Hollander has been the leader of The Crimson since 2008. Throughout his political career, he has made several attempts to run for various offices, though many of these attempts were unsuccessful. However, in 2022, he made a significant breakthrough by breaking his party's decade-long Senate boycott, becoming the first-ever senator from The Crimson.
As the joint candidate of The Crimson and the Socialist Alliance, den Hollander aims to bring forth a socialist agenda and, in his words, "champion what the people want." His candidacy represents a collaborative effort between the two left-wing parties to advance their shared goals and ideals.
Den Hollander's exclusion from the LNN debate has sparked controversy. On Twitter, den Hollander claimed that LNN was silencing him and accused an unidentified LNN official of calling him an "unwelcomed extremist." LNN, however, denied these claims but did not provide a specific reason for excluding den Hollander from the debate.
Results
| Candidate |
Political party |
Amount of votes |
Percentage (%) |
Status |
| Nolan Brunson |
Labour Party of Elthize, Elthic Green Party |
548,529 |
37,9% |
Advanced to second round |
| Rebel Kofi |
Independent |
495,250 |
34,2% |
Advanced to second round |
| Liam Zachary |
Independent (endorsed by The Nationals) |
190,108 |
13,1% |
Eliminated |
| May Hobbes |
New Democracy, The Third Option |
109,859 |
7,5% |
Eliminated |
| Leon den Hollander |
The Crimson, Future Together - Socialist Alliance |
102,758 |
7,1% |
Eliminated |
Image: Electoral map of the 2023 councillor elections by province (left) and by district (right). Each different colour indicates a candidate that has won in the province or district (Red: Brunson, Green: Kofi, Blue: Zachary, Yellow: Hobbes.)
After the completion of the vote count, two candidates emerged as the front-runners: Nolan Brunson, securing 37.9% of the vote, and Rebel Kofi, receiving 34.2% of the vote. As neither candidate reached the required threshold of 40%, a second round of voting will be conducted with Brunson and Kofi as the remaining contenders.
On the other hand, Liam Zachary, despite initial expectations, did not perform as well as anticipated. He garnered only 13.1% of the vote, placing him in a distant third position. However, it is worth noting that Zachary's vote share exceeded that of May Hobbes, who received 7.5% of the votes. These results suggest that the recall of Zachary was met with significant disapproval, and his replacement did not fare any better in terms of public support.
Meanwhile, Leon den Hollander, who got around three percent of the vote in the previous councillor elections, has doubled his vote share. Besides the LNN debate exclusion factor, it is unknown what has caused this sudden rise. However, this did not save him from getting fifth (last) place.
From a geographic perspective, the results seem predictable. Brunson has won Marchand and Brownell, both Labour strongholds. In Ackerson, it was a close-knit race which Brunson won thanks to getting more support from the province's largest city, Theodorburg.
In St. Lucas, predictably, Brunson won, though it was not a landslide as many would have expected. Kofi managed to gain substantial support in districts located outside of the metropolitan area, as well as in central districts. Meanwhile, Zachary was the victor in the northeast part of the province.
Speaking of Zachary, he achieved a resounding victory in Montgomery, indicating that voters in the province strongly identified with his narrative of perceived injustice. Montgomery stands out as the province with the highest level of variance, with four out of the five candidates securing victories in at least one district.
Port Nelson was won by Rebel Kofi, suggesting a significant level of support for his candidacy in that district. Conversely, May Hobbes emerged as the unexpected winner in Liamville, the only province where she claimed victory. In Forecoaster, the competition was intense among Kofi, Zachary, and Brunson, with Zachary ultimately falling short of victory there, in the final moments of the race. The turnout of the election was 52,2%.
Who will win?
It is clear that the electorate of Brunson and Kofi are largely set and will vote for them again in the second round. The real question is who the voters of other candidates will vote for. Unfortunately, Brunson is at a big disadvantage here, as he is a candidate on the left. It appears that there are limited potential sources of additional votes for him, apart from the supporters of Leon den Hollander.
Rebel Kofi, on the other hand, as a centrist candidate with a single-issue focus on Elthize's neutrality, is more likely to receive the endorsement of Liam Zachary. Both candidates share the aspiration for Elthize to be recognized as a neutral state by the European Union. The failed talks between Zachary and President Grimwald regarding a neutrality motion, as reported by The Tribunal in November 2022, have raised speculation and allegations that Zachary's recall was motivated by his determination to submit a neutrality motion against Grimwald's opposition. If these allegations hold, Kofi's efforts to advance Elthize's neutrality could face significant challenges. However, could Grimwald get away with doing the same political move two times?
Meanwhile, if Brunson won, he would be at odds with Grimwald and the right-wing ruling coalition, and he would have to compromise a lot from the principles of the Labour Party. As far as Michael Jenkins is concerned, though, he will likely have the liberty to do so.
Regardless of who wins the second round, the biggest loser of these elections is Greenwich Grimwald. May Hobbes, endorsed by his party The Third Option, absolutely flopped in the elections, barely passing den Hollander, who she would likely see as "a filthy communist". Hobbes was not even favoured within her party, New Democracy, with many party officials disputing her candidacy. Grimwald now has to deal with either Kofi, who will insist on neutrality, something he doesn't approve of, or Brunson, a member of the Labour Party, a party Grimwald and his friends have always looked down upon. Either way, it will be pathetic... For him.
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