A recount of the District 7 preliminary results on Sat., Sept. 26, found that perennial candidate Roy Owens had marginally increased his lead for second place over Angelina “Angie” Camacho. Owens will face Tania Anderson, the top-vote getter in September, in the Nov. 2 general election.

The recount tallied a 9-vote increase for Owens, up to 37 from the 28-vote lead he had after ballots were counted just after the Sept. 14 preliminary.

“While it is disappointing that the recount did not go our way, we are still glad we went through with it in response to all who had questions about the results,” Camacho said. “We were honored to be a part of building confidence in the election system and learned so much through this process.”

Camacho also took aim at the election’s low turnout. More than 80 percent of eligible voters did not cast a vote in the race, which was an open seat due to Kim Janey, the acting mayor, opting to unsuccessfully run for a full term as mayor rather than another two-year term as District 7 councillor.

“When less than 20 percent of our registered voters participate in the process, there is a clarion call for change,” Camacho said. “We can no longer afford to close our eyes and ears to this message.”

For his part, Owens, who has repeatedly run for various offices and lost, is already focused on running for the US House of Representatives in 2022, according to his typo-laden website.

Owens, who lives in US Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s Congressional district, was also a candidate in the 17-person race for the at-large seats. He did not advance past the preliminary in that field.

Anderson topped the District 7 preliminary, which had an 8-person field, with 26 percent of the vote.

“I look forward to a vigorous, informative, and positive debate with Mr. Owens about the ways we can best advocate for and represent District 7,” she said in a statement after the recount.