Councilman-elect Tim Hodges, response to Anthony Merante’s statement in his final City Council Meeting:
I normally would not comment on such matters, but Anthony Merante’s bitter and delusional rant during his final Council meeting leaves me no choice. During his remarks, he chose to belittle me and my candidacy by referring to me only as “the Democrat,” and he attacked the individuals—of all parties—who supported my campaign, including his own Republican predecessor and my friend, John Larkin, even holding up a photo of him.
The truth is this: Anthony Merante’s defeat had little to do with redistricting or the so-called “blue wave” he claims, and everything to do with his non-existent and failed record on the City Council and the strength of my candidacy. Four years ago, in a national red-wave year, Merante defeated me by a razor-thin margin—where I was even ahead by 9 votes on election night—after which I congratulated him graciously. But in every one of his three Council elections, he has consistently run behind the rest of the Republican ticket.
By contrast, both this year and four years ago, I ran ahead of the Democratic ticket—often by double-digit margins. Even in the portion of the 6th District that did not change during redistricting, Merante’s support collapsed. He carried that area by 92 votes four years ago; this year, he lost it by hundreds. And while he claims he had “strong numbers” in the 2023 Mayoral Election, the truth is that Mayor Spano—at the top of the ticket—trounced him by roughly 20 points in the same areas. The voters didn’t just reject his excuses; they rejected his record.
Whether Anthony Merante wants to admit it or not, he was not defeated by “a few votes.” He was defeated in a 20-point landslide, by more than 1,200 votes. I look forward to serving the people of the 6th Council District—whether they supported me or not—and working every day to move our community forward.
There’s a quote that Anthony Merante has now proven true in the most unfortunate way:
“A man’s true character is revealed in defeat” -Alison Goodman. Despite this unfortunate way to end his time on the Council, I wish Anthony Merante and his family all the best in their future endeavors.
