With 162 absentee, questioned or special needs votes still to be tallied, the race could change.

The uncounted ballots will be tallied at 10:30 a.m. Friday by the election canvass board, said Homer City Clerk Jo Johnson. The final tally could throw the election into a runoff if Hogan or Haina doesn't hold on to 40 percent or more of the votes.

Hogan said he thinks he might hold his spot.

"There's a bit of a lead there," he said. "I think Kent worked real hard on his campaign and put a lot of effort into it."

"I'm happy to be re-elected, and I appreciate the support of the Homer voters," Roberts said.

Roberts had expected a runoff.

"I was surprised," Roberts, a Homer High School math teacher, said. "I thought there would be a runoff because there were so many candidates in the field and there were good candidates."

In an election where the economy and a leaner city budget were the main issues, being an incumbent could have been a disadvantage if voters were looking for scapegoats. Roberts said she thought her incumbency helped her rather than hurt her.

"I do think that they (the voters) supported what I've been doing -- the fact that we're trying to do the best we can in difficult circumstances," Roberts said.

Hogan ran against the sales tax and as a fiscal conservative.

"I think I was pretty clear that we need to tighten our belts," he said. "I think all the other people are good people, too."

Hogan and Haina both said they could have campaigned harder -- and acknowledged the hard work of each other.

"I think I should have probably devoted more time to it than I did, but I've got a business to run," Hogan said. He owns the Auction Block, a seafood buying company. "I think Kent especially put a lot into his campaign."

"I could have done more," Haina said. "I could have gone door-to-door."

Haina said on Wednesday morning that he's not ready to concede the election. The retired airline and U.S. Air Force pilot and lodge and charter business owner said he's pleased with the votes he got. Haina first ran for election as a write-in candidate in the mayoral election, winning just 10 percent then.

"I was surprised at how many votes I did get," Haina said. "To go from less than 10 percent for mayor last year and over 40 percent this year shows people are paying attention."

Shannon and Wells are both frequent visitors to city council meetings, and often speak on items on the agenda. Although he didn't win, Shannon was happy with the sales tax defeat.

"I'm obviously disappointed," he said. "It's not a total wash. I reason I entered in the first place was I was tired of the elite politics and the tax-and-spend politics. There's no money to spend in the tax-and-spend game."

"Giving who was running, I'm not surprised," Wells said of the results.

Like Shannon, he saw comfort in the sales tax defeat.

"We know people like not letting go of money anyway," Wells said.

Shannon said he'll continue to attend council meetings as his work schedule allow.

"It's like Thomas Jefferson said: 'People who expect to remain ignorant and remain free expect what never was and never will be,'" he said. "Keeping informed of the issues is important for everybody, and not just the ones making the rules."

Wells said he'll also keep an eye on city politics.

"I'll be there to help Frank (Griswold) watch what the council's doing," he said.

Roberts said she can work with either Hogan or Haina on the council.

"Either of them would be welcome additions to the council," she said. "They both seem to understand the issues going on in the council. They seem well prepared."

Cashman did not return messages by press time.

Final results will be available about 2 p.m. Friday. If a runoff is needed, it will be held Nov. 3. Otherwise, the council verifies the results at the Monday meeting, and new members are sworn in at a special meeting on Oct. 20.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong.@homernews.com.