The margin was 116 votes. He got 24 percent of the Democratic vote in the primary, 2,275 individuals who helped Brandon Coan edge Stephen Reily in the most hotly-contested and expensive, Metro Council race in, maybe ever.
The margin didn’t matter at the Monkey Wrench last night, as more than a hundred supporters anxiously awaited the official word, which came shortly after 7. From the time votes started coming in, it was evident that despite the presence of five other candidates, this race would come down to the former Greg Fischer aide and the wealthy businessman and philanthropist who raised a record $137,000.
Brandon Coan credited his family, including wife Summer Auerbach (hear her interview on the Rusty Satellite Show here), friends and the power of the Internet. That’s right, Coan singled out the guy who managed his online campaign, joking that anyone who searched for anything related to Louisville in the last week was greeted with a Brandon Coan ad.
Coan spent $43,000, but got a lot of mileage from the online campaign and the endorsement of the Courier-Journal. And he seemed to energize the millennials who live and work in the Highlands. In his campaign, Coan called for term limits (2) not just for the Mayor but for council members.
After Reily’s 23 percent, Spalding University professor Chris Kolb came in third at 19 percent. Terra Long, who served as Owen’s legislative aide, was fourth, in a virtual tie with Kosair Children’s Hospital executive Lynnie Meyer. Josh White, a bioengineer, got 3 percent. and real estate agent Charles Wooden got just 23 votes.
We hope to have Coan as a guest on the Rusty Satellite Show this week.
