In a race where the victors were only separated by 36 votes, incumbent Randy Erdman and challenger Mike Murtaugh won the Albert Lea mayoral primary election Tuesday to move on to the general election Nov. 4.

Erdman received about 45 percent of the votes, with 1,172 total votes — and Murtaugh, a computer programmer, received about 44 percent — with 1,136 votes.

Business owner and bar manager George Gillespie received 6 percent of the vote, with 157 votes; C.E. Vollum received 3 percent, with 86 votes; and Dave Reisewitz received about 2 percent, with 43 votes.

“Congratulations to all the candidates who ran,” said Erdman, who was elected as mayor in 2006 after serving four years on the Albert Lea City Council representing Ward 2. “I feel fortunate to move on.”

While Erdman, an office products salesman, won in Wards 1, 2 and 3, Murtaugh won in Wards 4, 5 and 6. Until the results of the final two wards came in, it seemed as if Murtaugh would take the lead in the nonpartisan race.

But when the last wards came in, Erdman moved to the front.

Erdman said between now and the general election, he hopes some of the positive things he’s been trying to implement in the city will become more visible.

In interviews before the election, he said he hopes people recognize the relationships he’s built with other government bodies since he’s been in office.

Because of these relationships and other factors, the city is moving in the right direction, he said.

Murtaugh, who was at the Freeborn County Government Center with his daughter Erin when the results came in, said the primary results tell him where he needs to concentrate his efforts before the general election.

“I’ll look at it ward by ward and go from there,” he said.

For this being his first time running for office, going against an incumbent and reaching an almost 50/50 result, Murtaugh said he was satisfied with the results.

Some of his hot-topic issues included getting the city to be more transparent in its actions — by eliminating the Thursday preagenda meeting — and promoting wise spending.

He said prior to the primary he hadn’t been able to do a lot of door knocking, so that will be his primary focus in the time leading up to the November election, he said.

He thanked the other three candidates for running.

While listening to them at the mayoral forum at the end of August, he heard some good ideas from all of them, Murtaugh said.

“I can tell they were all sincere,” he said.

Randy Erdman: 1, 172

Michael Murtaugh: 1,136

George Gillespie: 157

C.E. Vollum: 86

Dave Reisewitz: 43

Gillespie extended his congratulations to the winners and said he’s enjoyed bringing up issues during the campaign.

“As long as you can get heard it’s a lot of fun,” he said.

Reisewitz responded: “May the best man win.”

“I just hope that whoever wins does get in and do something for this town,” he said. “If they don’t it’s going to be a ghost town.”

Vollum could not be reached for comment.

Ward 1: Erdman 333, Murtaugh 275

Ward 2: Erdman 182, Murtaugh 122

Ward 3: Erdman 262, Murtaugh 244

Ward 4: Erdman 203, Murtaugh 231

Ward 5: Erdman 85, Murtaugh 94

Ward 6: Erdman 107, Murtaugh 170

There were 2,594 total ballots cast within the city.

Murtaugh’s wife is the assistant editor of the Albert Lea Tribune. She has no role in the election stories.