ABERDEEN — Aberdeen voters have returned Cecil Belle to the mayor’s office.
The former mayor regained the top job in city government Tuesday by defeating Maurice Howard in the Democratic primary runoff. Complete but unofficial returns show Belle with 1,091 votes and Howard with 680 votes. Belle won the race for mayor in 2004 but lost in his re-election bid four years later.
Belle takes office because there are no Republicans or independents on the ballot for the general election. He will be sworn in on May 1. Incumbent Mayor Jim Ballard lost in the April 3 Democratic primary.
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