Jos Mitchell Redland’s new mayor as Andrew Laming concedes after campaign dogged by bitter feuds, swamped polling booths | VIDEO

Security guards, jostling at booths, calls for police and even a Supreme Court dispute over signs — voters in Redland and Logan can finally put a bitter election campaign to rest with both cities getting new mayors.

Voters were forced to queue for up to two hours at the booth at Mabel Park State High School on Saturday afternoon.

Redland City Council has a new leader with former police prosecutor and art lover Jos Mitchell stepping into the void left by retiring mayor Karen Williams.

Ms Mitchell was rocketed into the top seat after her opponent, the former federal MP Andrew Laming, conceded defeat late on Saturday night.

“I am extremely happy and grateful of the outcome but I am very much hoping that other members of my team will get across the line so that I am not going into a majority ineffective council,” Ms Mitchell said.

“I will be pushing forward with my agenda and will work with the community but I am concerned about having a majority ineffective council.”

Mr Laming said he had entered the three-candidate race at the last minute and although he had hoped to win was not able to get across the line.

“Congratulations to Jos Mitchell who will be Redlands’ next mayor,” Mr Laming said.

“However, she is going to be a lame duck mayor as her ticket has failed and she is likely to be heading a minority council, which Redland has not had in a very long time.

“Jos was unsuccessful in getting all of her candidates across the line and will face opposition from six councillors.”

Mr Laming also paid tribute to Cindy Corrie, who he said had exceeded all expectations in the primary vote.

ON SUNDAY MORNING:

With 80.24 per cent of vote counted, Ms Mitchell was ahead with 52.53 per cent of the 120,220 votes.

Counting continues for Redland mayor with three candidates from left, Andrew Laming, Jos Mitchell and Cindy Corrie.

Mr Laming, was in second place with 25.72 per cent of the primary vote and businesswoman Ms Corrie on 21.75 per cent with counting of preferences due to continue on Sunday.

Ms Mitchell brought a stop to campaigning on Friday when she successfully filed a Supreme Court injunction barring Mr Laming from erecting “misleading election signs”.

The bitter battle forced ECQ Returning Officer Paul Sutton to install security guards at all booths across Redland.

Former ringcard girl Angel Crowden and incumbent Lance Hewlett.

Two seats in Redland were already decided after nominations closed with long-time Division 1 councillor Wendy Boglary returned unopposed along with Division 10 councillor Paul Bishop.

Interesting seats were Division 4, where young mum and ring card girl Angel Crowden took on Cr Lance Hewlett, who has held the post since 2012.

On Sunday, with 30.96 per cent of the division’s 11,894 votes counted, Cr Hewlett was facing a tough challenge with Ms Crowden holding 49.9 per cent of the vote.

Hundreds of voters had to queue for more than two hours at Mabel Park State High School in Logan.

The outcome in Division 7 was also closely scrutinised with former Redland councillor Murray Elliott challenging seated councillor Rowanne McKenzie, accused in state parliament of a smear campaign using a now-defunct Facebook account at the 2020 council poll.

Mr Elliott was at the Capalaba early voting centre on Friday, when mayoral candidate Andrew Laming’s mother Estelle, fell from a chair and lodged a complaint with police.

With 38.28 per cent of the primary vote counted, Ms McKenzie was expected to retain her seat with 52.69 per cent of the vote and Mr Elliott with 37.33 per cent and young candidate Meisha Read with a respectable 9.98 per cent of the vote.

Long-term councillor Julie Talty, whose father John Burns was also a councillor, was returned to her Division 6 seat with 57.57 per cent of the vote, over Jasper Every with 42.43 per cent.

Cr Talty has held the deputy mayor position to retiring mayor Karen Williams and is expected to play a major role in the new council.

Jasper Every put up a strong challenge to incumbent Julie Talty.

Mr Every’s loss was seen as a setback for the Jos Mitchell for Change Team.

Preliminary figures for Division 2 with 77.83 per cent of the vote counted, showed Brian McDonald with 48.76 per cent of the vote, trailing incumbent Peter Mitchell in the division which covers Toondah Harbour in Cleveland and North Stradbroke Island, where there are major cost-of-living issues and a push to increase tourism.

In Redland Division 3, which covers Thornlands where there have been issues with youth crime, sitting councillor Paul Golle was returned with 65.11 per cent of the vote after nearly a third of votes had been counted.

In Redland Division 5 with 50.23 per cent of the vote counted, bay island man Shane Rendalls was set to take the seat left vacant after Mark Edwards retired.

In Division 8, Tracy Huges was returned for her third term.

Another blow to the Jos Mitchell for Change team was outspoken councillor Adelia Berridge losing Division 9 to newcomer Jason Colley who scored 58.72 per cent of the vote.

In Logan, initial polling showed voters had opted for well-known councillor Jon Raven to serve as their next mayor, replacing one-term mayor Darren Power.

Initial ECQ data showed Cr Raven had 55.64 per cent of the primary vote with 70.54 per cent counted, leading his opponents real estate director Brett Raguse and retiree Jim Reid.

Low voter interest in the election in Logan was linked to five councillors being reinstated unopposed.

Tony Hall was returned to Division 6, Jacob Heremaia to Division 8, Scott Bannan to Division 9, Miriam Stemp to Division 10 and Natalie Willcocks to Division 11.

Long-time Logan Division 2 councillor Lisa Bradley was returned to the seat she has held since 2008.

With 20.19 per cent of votes counted, Cr Bradley had 60.19 per cent leading Peta Duffy with 23.35 per cent and Alex Fisher with 16.45 per cent.

Election day frustration boiled over after lunch when there was a surge of voters with claims that booths at Springwood had “extremely low” in ballot papers.

The electoral commission said the ballot papers were restocked before the booth ran out.

ECQ kept some booths open after the 6pm deadline so that voters in the queue were not turned away. These voters were in the queue at Mabel Park State High School after 5.20pm.

Volunteers working for mayoral candidate Jim Reid also reported long queues “of up to two hours” at Mabel Park State High School with less than an hour of polling to go.

“People were just turning around and leaving and after 5pm there was really no other alternative for them to go and start voting. It was a disaster,” Mr Reid said.

Originally published as Jos Mitchell Redland’s new mayor as Andrew Laming concedes after campaign dogged by bitter feuds, swamped polling booths | VIDEO