"Looks like you whipped me."
"Thank you, mayor, you ran a great race, and I . . . "Click.
Lynn F. Pett held the phone to his ear a few more moments.
"The mayor just hung up on me," Pett told his supporters, almost in disbelief.
"Diplomacy never was McMillan's strong point," commented a campaign volunteer.
Instead of a controversial issue, the mayoral race focused on distinctions in leadership and communication styles between Pett and Mayor Lavar McMillan.
"An incumbent usually has the edge with employee support. But because McMillan is not open in his communication, city employees who have never been active in politics before, volunteered to campaign for me," Pett said, claiming his impressive 4,836 to 3,130 victory, according to complete, but unofficial, tallies.
Supporters hugged, kissed and congratulated Pett, admitting it would be different to refer to "Lynn" as "Mayor Pett" because "Lynn is a first-name-basis kind of guy. He's worked for the city 20 years. Everyone knows him," explained a city employee.
McMillan blames the defeat on "employees who are never satisfied. I tried to hold the line with no tax increase. They feel that Pett will take better care of them."
"I had hoped the people would just look back at my record. I didn't dig up dirt against Lynn Pett, although I could have . . . .," said McMillan.
Council member Julie L. Davis, District 3, who did not face re-election this term, credits Pett's win to a Murray citizens' desire for more progressive leadership." She concedes there have been "some morale problems" under McMillan.
Only 15 votes separated District 4 council seat winner Arline Gillen from incumbent Norman E. Nielsen. Gillen received 913; Nielsen 898.
"A win is a win is a win," Gillen quipped. "I'll take it!"
While serving as a councilman offered Nielsen experience, Gillen believes her optimism and promise to unite the City Council won voters' approval.
Like McMillan, Nielsen had hoped his record as an incumbent would persuade voters - no tax increases, more services, lower power rates.
In District 2, retired police official Lynn H. Turner defeated attorney Justin F. Barney, 843 to 600.
He believes he offered voters "more mature, experienced leadership."
Turner promises to protect the healthy tax base, fight drugs in the schools and improve the safety of neighborhoods.
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Politics: Murray style
In Murray, politicians going door-to-door discover citizens are generally happy with what government provides: The tax base is strong. Services good. Power rates low.
Unpopular issues, such as high-density housing, and leadership determine an incumbent's fate in Murray.
Former two-term Mayor LaRell D. Muir was defeated by current Mayor Lavar McMillan in 1985 because citizens were angry about multiple-family housing developments. McMillan lost to Lynn F. Pett largely because of differences in personality.
"I found people are happy with city hall overall. They just want someone who communicates more openly in the mayor's leadership post," said Pett.