By Leann Schenke

DOVER — The votes have been counted and the results are in: Dr. Julia Pillsbury has been elected to represent the residents of the 1st District on the Dover City Council. 

Dr. Pillsbury received 272 votes in the Tuesday special election defeating her opponent, Brandy Walker, who received 236. 

As former councilman Matthew Lindell resigned in September with more than six months left on his term, city code dictates a special election be held to fill the vacancy. First district residents were able to cast a vote in the special election at the Elks Lodge #1903.

Dr. Pillsbury will fill out the rest of Mr. Lindell’s term, which ends May 8, 2023. She now represents 1st District residents alongside Councilman Gerald Rocha.

“I can’t believe it,” Dr. Pillsbury said in a telephone interview Tuesday evening. “Really, I’m excited, I’m excited. I think it’s wonderful. We did a lot of hard work. I had a tremendous amount of support and I feel like this is a win for everybody that helped me, so I’m very happy.” 

Her oath of office will be administered during the council’s Dec. 13 meeting.

This is not Dr. Pillsbury’s first time seeking office, though it is her first time running for city council. In 2020, she made a bid for the Delaware insurance commissioner seat, but lost to Trinidad Navarro.

Though not a native of the first state, Dr. Pillsbury has called Dover home since 1989. She is a practicing pediatrician having earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1974 and medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1981. She attended school on a U.S. Army scholarship. 

As she will be completing Mr. Lindell’s term, Dr. Pillsbury said she is not sure what committees she will be able to serve on. However, she said she would like to be involved with public safety. 

“I want to work on reducing the crime, particularly the violent crime that’s going on,” Dr. Pillsbury said. “I’ve just seen such an increase in guns and weapon related injuries since I’ve lived in Dover. It’s increased dramatically.” 

Dr. Pillsbury said she is excited to work alongside the Dover Police Department in reducing crime in the city. 

She also outlined her priorities for the downtown area. 

“I’d like to see what the plan is for downtown Dover,” she said. “I know there’s been a lot of talk about putting in parking meters and so forth and I’d like to see what the plan, the long term plan, is for that part of the city.” 

In a separate interview Tuesday evening, Ms. Walker congratulated Dr. Pillsbury on her win and thanked the community for their support. 

“It’s OK,” she said, noting she was able to make a lot of “great connections” through the process of running for council. 

“I’m appreciative of all the relationships I built with residents during this process,” she said. 

Speaking to the margins, Ms. Walker said earning 46% of the vote to Dr. Pillsbury’s 56% isn’t bad for her first time running. 

“I can’t be mad at that,” Ms. Walker said. 

While this was the first time Ms. Walker ran for office, she said this likely will not be the last. 

Midway through the day Tuesday, poll inspector Traci McDowell reported a steady turnout of voters. Both Dr. Pillsbury and Ms. Walker too said they’d seen a fairly consistent amount of people turnout to cast their vote. 

Both spent the day at the Elks Lodge with Dr. Pillsbury having arrived about 10 minutes before 7 a.m. and Ms. Walker at 6:45 a.m. At noon, Ms. Walker said she was anxious to see what the results will be, but feeling excited, as well. 

A sense of civic duty is what drove most voters to the polls Tuesday. 

“Why not,” Steve Kotrch said when asked why he decided to vote in the special election.  

Noting they are both veterans, Mr. Kotrch and George Christensen said it is their civic duty to vote — Mr. Kotch dedicated 20 years of his life to service (four in the U.S. Navy and 16 in the Air Force) and Mr. Christensen served for 23 years in the Air Force. 

“People should vote,” Mr. Christensen said. 

N.C. Vasupi too said he always votes in elections in his city. 

When asked why they decided to come to the polls Tuesday, Carol and Milton Parnell said the act of voting is necessary and something they always do. 

“We can’t lose this privilege,” Mr. Milton Parnell said. “Our forefathers fought for the right to vote.” 

“We are happy to do so,” Ms. Carol Parnell said.

This story  has been updated with additional information.