Stokes assumes Carrollton post He easily won mayoral election
The Dallas Morning News - Thursday, May 25, 2000
Author: From staff reports

After predicting victory, Mark Stokes delivered by easily winning last week's runoff for Carrollton mayor .

Mr. Stokes, 44, a mortgage-firm executive and a former council member, was sworn into office Tuesday at a city work session. He succeeds Milburn Gravley, who decided not to seek re-election after holding the post 12 of the last 14 years.

Mr. Stokes narrowly missed claiming the mayor 's seat in the May 6 election, receiving 48 percent of the vote. But on Saturday, he overwhelmingly defeated opponent Stan Hampton by a 2-to-1 margin. Mr. Hampton, 51, an executive at a car dealership and a former council member, had finished second in the election with about 31 percent of the vote.

More than 3 percent of Carrollton's 47,833 registered voters went to the polls Saturday.

But the turnout was far worse in Lewisville, as just more than 260 of the 42,716 eligible voters cast ballots in the runoff for the Place 1 City Council seat.

In another close race, Jack Ablon edged Tim Blair by fewer than 10 votes.

Mr. Ablon, 53, a vice president at an architecture firm and a former parks and recreation board member, will be sworn into office at a meeting June 5. He fills the position formerly held by Mayor Gene Carey, who resigned with a year remaining of his term to pursue the city's highest elected office.

Mr. Blair, 47, is an engineer and a former Planning and Zoning Commission member.